Shares of financial software and payment services provider Global Payments (GPN.US) surged significantly on Wednesday. Market observers noted that the stock movement was driven not only by quarterly earnings but also by the company’s optimistic forward guidance and progress in its strategic transformation. According to the financial report, Global Payments reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.18 for the fourth quarter, slightly surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $3.16. Revenue for the period stood at $1.9 billion, largely unchanged from the same period last year. On an adjusted basis, revenue increased by 6% to $2.32 billion, meeting analyst expectations. Overall, the quarterly performance was viewed as mixed. What truly boosted market sentiment was the company’s forward guidance for 2026. Global Payments projected adjusted earnings per share for fiscal 2026 to be in the range of $13.80 to $14.00, notably higher than the consensus estimate of $13.58. The company also anticipates approximately 5% growth in adjusted net revenue on a constant currency basis. Buoyed by the optimistic outlook, shares of Global Payments rose over 16% on Wednesday to close at $81.26, marking the largest single-day percentage gain since March 24, 2020, when the stock surged 22%. During the session, broader market performance was relatively subdued, with the S&P 500 index rising 0.56%, while Global Payments stood out as the top performer within the index. Management also provided an update on the company’s strategic repositioning. Global Payments stated that it completed the divestiture of its Issuer Solutions business last month, "significantly ahead of the original schedule," as mentioned by CEO Cameron Bready during Wednesday’s earnings call. Revenue associated with this discontinued operation is no longer included in the company’s unadjusted revenue. The assets were acquired last month by Fidelity National Information Services (FIS.US). Bready described 2025 as a year of "profound transformation" for the company, which includes the launch of the Genius point-of-sale (POS) platform in the second quarter. In addition to the Issuer Solutions divestiture, Global Payments earlier this year finalized its acquisition of payment processor Worldpay. He characterized the transaction as "a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution," emphasizing that the company will focus on customer-centric initiatives to drive sustained and stable growth. Year-to-date, shares of Global Payments have declined less than 1% through 2026, slightly underperforming the S&P 500's gain of approximately 0.1% over the same period. Nevertheless, its performance remains relatively stable compared to industry peers.