PAGS vs FOUR vs PAYO vs GPN

For growth investors, Shift4 Payments, Inc.

(FOUR) is the stronger pick with 25. 5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -23. 7% for Global Payments Inc. (GPN). PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS) offers the better valuation at 7. 2x trailing P/E (1. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS) a "Buy" — based on 24 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, PagSeguro Digital Ltd.

(PAGS) is the cheapest at 7. 2x versus Shift4 Payments, Inc. at 43. 4x. On forward P/E, PagSeguro Digital Ltd. is actually cheaper at 1. 1x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: PagSeguro Digital Ltd. wins at 0. 09x versus Global Payments Inc. 's 0. 21x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Shift4 Payments, Inc.

(FOUR) delivered a total return of -46. 4%, compared to -74. 9% for PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FOUR returned +39. 7% versus PAGS's -62. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Global Payments Inc.

(GPN) is the lower-risk stock at 1. 37β versus PagSeguro Digital Ltd. 's 1. 70β — meaning PAGS is approximately 23% more volatile than GPN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Payoneer Global Inc. (PAYO) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 10% versus 2% for PagSeguro Digital Ltd. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Shift4 Payments, Inc.

(FOUR) is pulling ahead at 25. 5% versus -23. 7% for Global Payments Inc. (GPN). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: PagSeguro Digital Ltd. grew EPS 5. 1% year-over-year, compared to -64. 4% for Shift4 Payments, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, FOUR leads at 28. 0% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Global Payments Inc.

(GPN) is the more profitable company, earning 18. 2% net margin versus 2. 8% for Shift4 Payments, Inc. — meaning it keeps 18. 2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PAGS leads at 37. 5% versus 8. 4% for FOUR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PAYO leads at 78. 1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 09x versus Global Payments Inc. 's 0. 21x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (PAGS) trades at 1. 1x forward P/E versus 20. 4x for Payoneer Global Inc. — 19. 3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for FOUR: 56. 6% to $73. 36.

In this comparison, PAGS (4.

1% yield), GPN (1. 4% yield), FOUR (0. 7% yield) pay a dividend. PAYO does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Global Payments Inc.

(GPN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (1. 4% yield). Payoneer Global Inc. (PAYO) carries a higher beta of 1. 65 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (GPN: +4. 6%, PAYO: -47. 7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (PAGS (Technology) and FOUR (Technology) and PAYO (Technology) and GPN (Industrials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: PAGS is a small-cap deep-value stock; FOUR is a small-cap high-growth stock; PAYO is a small-cap quality compounder stock; GPN is a mid-cap deep-value stock. PAGS, FOUR, GPN pay a dividend while PAYO does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.