Shift4 to Acquire Australian Payments Leader Smartpay
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. & AUCKLAND, New Zealand--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR), a leader in integrated payments and commerce technology, has announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Smartpay (NZX:SPY, ASX:SMP), a leading independent provider of payment processing and point-of-sale solutions in Australia and New Zealand, for NZ$296.4 million (~$180m USD), or NZ$1.20 per share. This represents a 46.5% premium to 90 trading day Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP).
Smartpay sells tailored payment solutions through an extensive distribution network across Australia and New Zealand, supporting a diverse base of more than 40,000 merchants in the region. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.
'This acquisition follows the Shift4 playbook to a tee. It deepens our strategic presence in Australia and New Zealand, providing a significant opportunity to offer our full suite of software and payments solutions in the region,' said Shift4 CEO Taylor Lauber. 'By combining our payment infrastructure with Smartpay's distribution capabilities, we're well positioned to go-to-market at scale in the region with our leading products and services such as SkyTab POS for restaurants, SkyTab Venue for stadiums and arenas, and our end-to-end payment solution for hotels and unified commerce merchants.'
Shift4 has successfully executed a similar strategy of combining acquisitions to deliver a superior integrated payment experience with localized distribution, service, and support, valuable merchant-facing products, and owned payment rails to rapidly scale in other regions, most recently in Germany, the UK and Ireland.
About Shift4
Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) is boldly redefining commerce by simplifying complex payments ecosystems across the world. As the leader in commerce-enabling technology, Shift4 powers billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in virtually every industry. For more information, visit shift4.com.
About Smartpay
Smartpay (NZX:SPY, ASX:SMP) is the leading independent provider of electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) solutions in Australia and New Zealand. Smartpay designs, develops and implements point-of-sale payment solutions for more than 40,000 merchants.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend for such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our expectations associated the completion, the benefits, synergies, efficiencies, and opportunities arising from, and anticipated costs of the proposed transaction, and the timing of any of the foregoing. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause each of our actual results, performance or achievements, to be materially different from any futures results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to the substantial and increasingly intense competition worldwide in the financial services, payments and payment technology industries; our ability to continue to expand our respective share of the existing payment processing markets or expand into new markets; additional risks associated with our expansion into international operations, including compliance with and changes in foreign governmental policies, as well as exposure to foreign exchange rates; regulatory approvals and other related issues; and our respective ability to integrate and interoperate each of our services and products with a variety of operating systems, software, devices, and web browsers, and the other important factors discussed under the caption 'Risk Factors' in Part I, Item 1A in Shift4's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the years ended December 31, 2024, as updated by our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 and our other filings with the SEC. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's expectations as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause of our view to change.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
2025 Travelers Championship Generates More Than $4 Million for Charity
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced that the 2025 Travelers Championship – a PGA TOUR Signature Event – generated more than $4 million for over 215 nonprofits, both record highs. Travelers also set a record this year as the longest-running title sponsor in the tournament's history. In the 19 years the company has been title sponsor, the Travelers Championship has generated tens of millions of dollars for charity. Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Travelers, said, 'This week truly captured what makes the Travelers Championship so special – world-class golf played before an enthusiastic crowd, all united by a shared purpose. It is a formula that led to a great week of golf and more money raised for charity than ever before. For 19 years, we have been honored to bring the PGA TOUR to Connecticut, and every year I am inspired by the passion of the players, the dedication of our fans and the incredible support from volunteers and partners who rally around our mission to give back. In addition to supporting vital charitable causes, we are proud that the tournament also generates significant economic activity for the state of Connecticut. Congratulations to our 2025 champion, Keegan Bradley, for rising to the top of one of the strongest fields in the game. We are already looking forward to making next year's tournament even more memorable.' The Travelers Championship donates 100% of its net proceeds to nonprofits. This year's primary beneficiary is The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an organization based in Ashford, Connecticut, that provides a traditional summer camp experience for children with serious illnesses. Many other worthy charities – spanning arts and culture, education, health care, housing, human services, mental health, food insecurity, science and technology, and youth development – also benefit from their involvement with the Travelers Championship. Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Travelers, said, 'The Travelers Championship extends far beyond tournament week. We have created a community of fans that spans the region, and it is because of their support that we are able to make such an impact on so many charities, the true winners of the Travelers Championship. We are so grateful to the world's best PGA TOUR players for delivering another tremendous competition that we will all remember for some time.' The 2026 Travelers Championship is scheduled to take place June 22-28 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. For more information, visit About Travelers
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steadfast Group Limited (ASX:SDF) is favoured by institutional owners who hold 55% of the company
Significantly high institutional ownership implies Steadfast Group's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions 51% of the business is held by the top 11 shareholders Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. Every investor in Steadfast Group Limited (ASX:SDF) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 55% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Steadfast Group. See our latest analysis for Steadfast Group Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. Steadfast Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Steadfast Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Steadfast Group is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Australian Super Pty Ltd, with ownership of 9.7%. The second and third largest shareholders are First Sentier Investors (Australia) IM Ltd and Colonial First State Investments Limited, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 6.3%. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 11 shareholders have a combined ownership of 51% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Steadfast Group Limited. It is a pretty big company, so it is generally a positive to see some potentially meaningful alignment. In this case, they own around AU$317m worth of shares (at current prices). If you would like to explore the question of insider alignment, you can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. With a 36% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Steadfast Group. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. We can see that Private Companies own 3.7%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Steadfast Group better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Steadfast Group . But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. — Investing narratives with Fair Values Vita Life Sciences Set for a 12.72% Revenue Growth While Tackling Operational Challenges By Robbo – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: A$2.42 · 0.1% Overvalued Vossloh rides a €500 billion wave to boost growth and earnings in the next decade By Chris1 – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: €78.41 · 0.1% Overvalued Intuitive Surgical Will Transform Healthcare with 12% Revenue Growth By Unike – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: $325.55 · 0.6% Undervalued View more featured narratives — Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Commercial Metals (NYSE:CMC) Will Pay A Dividend Of $0.18
Commercial Metals Company (NYSE:CMC) will pay a dividend of $0.18 on the 9th of July. This payment means the dividend yield will be 1.5%, which is below the average for the industry. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. Prior to this announcement, the company was paying out 113% of what it was earning, however the dividend was quite comfortably covered by free cash flows at a cash payout ratio of only 19%. Given that the dividend is a cash outflow, we think that cash is more important than accounting measures of profit when assessing the dividend, so this is a mitigating factor. Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate that the payout ratio could reach 17%, which is in a comfortable range for us. View our latest analysis for Commercial Metals The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of $0.48 in 2015 to the most recent total annual payment of $0.72. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 4.1% per annum over that time. While the consistency in the dividend payments is impressive, we think the relatively slow rate of growth is less attractive. Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. However, initial appearances might be deceiving. Over the past five years, it looks as though Commercial Metals' EPS has declined at around 24% a year. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective. Even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. Over the next year, however, earnings are actually predicted to rise, but we would still be cautious until a track record of earnings growth can be built. In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Commercial Metals' payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The company is generating plenty of cash, but we still think the dividend is a bit high for comfort. Overall, we don't think this company has the makings of a good income stock. Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Commercial Metals that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
