0107 GMT - Zip's bull at Citi sees potential for the Australian payments provider to beat his full-year earnings forecast on operating costs. Maintaining a buy rating on the stock, analyst Siraj Ahmed tells clients in a note that Citi's analysis of company hiring activity points to a slowdown, which could result in lower-than-expected operating costs for the 12 months through June 2026. Pointing to stronger U.S. volume growth and transaction margins, Ahmed raises his fiscal 2026 cash earnings forecast to 265 million Australian dollars. Citi raises its target price by 37% to A$3.55. Shares are down 1.2% at A$2.945. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 19, 2026 21:07 ET (01:07 GMT)
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