Fiserv Shares Plunge 43% After Earnings Miss and Leadership Reshuffle

Wednesday, 29/10/2025 | 18:53 GMT by Jared Kirui
  • The fintech giant posted adjusted earnings of $2.04 per share for the third quarter, missing analyst expectations of $2.64 per share.
  • Fiserv expanded its platform through acquisitions, including CardFree and Smith Consulting Group.
decline

Fiserv shares plunged 43% on Wednesday, marking their steepest one-day decline on record. The payments technology firm reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results and lowered its growth outlook for the second consecutive quarter. The company’s latest downgrade and soft performance drew sharp criticism from analysts, who described the results as significantly below expectations.

Discover how neo-banks become wealthtech in London at the fmls25

The low performance underscored mounting challenges across Fiserv’s core payments and merchant businesses, which continue to face competitive pressures and softer consumer spending. Alongside the results, the company unveiled a leadership shake-up, naming a new chief financial officer and two co-presidents as part of a broader effort to reset its strategy under new management.

Takis Georgakopoulos and Dhivya Suryadevara will become Co-Presidents in December 2025, while Paul Todd, formerly of Global Payments, will take over as Chief Financial Officer at the end of October. Outgoing CFO Bob Hau will remain a senior advisor through early 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

Revenue Flat as Merchant Segment Offsets Financial Unit Decline

Fiserv also cut its 2025 guidance after reporting modest third-quarter growth. The payments technology company is moving to streamline operations and refocus on client relationships under a new strategic plan. It posted adjusted earnings of $2.04 per share for the third quarter, missing analyst expectations of $2.64 per share, based on LSEG data.

The company said GAAP revenue rose 1% year-on-year to $5.26 billion in the third quarter, with growth in Merchant Solutions offset by a decline in Financial Solutions. For the first nine months of 2025, revenue increased 5% to $15.91 billion.

GAAP earnings per share climbed 49% to $1.46, benefiting from the absence of last year’s impairment charge. Operating margin narrowed to 27.3% from 30.7% a year earlier.

Adjusted results told a similar story. Adjusted EPS fell 11% to $2.04, while organic revenue rose 1% in the quarter and 5% year to date. The company’s free cash flow totaled $2.88 billion, below the $3.34 billion generated a year earlier.

You may also like: Interactive Brokers Launches Karta Visa Card to Connect Brokerage Balances with Everyday Purchases

Recent Acquisitions

Fiserv’s deal activity continued to support its platform expansion. In recent months, the firm acquired CardFree and Smith Consulting Group while agreeing to purchase StoneCastle Cash Management. Pending regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close by early 2026.

In Canada, Fiserv also purchased part of TD Bank’s merchant processing business, extending Clover’s footprint and deepening its technology partnership with TD Bank through a multi-year managed services agreement.

Fiserv now expects organic revenue growth of 3.5% to 4% and adjusted EPS between $8.50 and $8.60 for 2025, down from earlier projections. The revised guidance reflects near-term softness but positions the company for what management views as a more sustainable trajectory under its new strategy.

Fiserv shares plunged 43% on Wednesday, marking their steepest one-day decline on record. The payments technology firm reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results and lowered its growth outlook for the second consecutive quarter. The company’s latest downgrade and soft performance drew sharp criticism from analysts, who described the results as significantly below expectations.

Discover how neo-banks become wealthtech in London at the fmls25

The low performance underscored mounting challenges across Fiserv’s core payments and merchant businesses, which continue to face competitive pressures and softer consumer spending. Alongside the results, the company unveiled a leadership shake-up, naming a new chief financial officer and two co-presidents as part of a broader effort to reset its strategy under new management.

Takis Georgakopoulos and Dhivya Suryadevara will become Co-Presidents in December 2025, while Paul Todd, formerly of Global Payments, will take over as Chief Financial Officer at the end of October. Outgoing CFO Bob Hau will remain a senior advisor through early 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

Revenue Flat as Merchant Segment Offsets Financial Unit Decline

Fiserv also cut its 2025 guidance after reporting modest third-quarter growth. The payments technology company is moving to streamline operations and refocus on client relationships under a new strategic plan. It posted adjusted earnings of $2.04 per share for the third quarter, missing analyst expectations of $2.64 per share, based on LSEG data.

The company said GAAP revenue rose 1% year-on-year to $5.26 billion in the third quarter, with growth in Merchant Solutions offset by a decline in Financial Solutions. For the first nine months of 2025, revenue increased 5% to $15.91 billion.

GAAP earnings per share climbed 49% to $1.46, benefiting from the absence of last year’s impairment charge. Operating margin narrowed to 27.3% from 30.7% a year earlier.

Adjusted results told a similar story. Adjusted EPS fell 11% to $2.04, while organic revenue rose 1% in the quarter and 5% year to date. The company’s free cash flow totaled $2.88 billion, below the $3.34 billion generated a year earlier.

You may also like: Interactive Brokers Launches Karta Visa Card to Connect Brokerage Balances with Everyday Purchases

Recent Acquisitions

Fiserv’s deal activity continued to support its platform expansion. In recent months, the firm acquired CardFree and Smith Consulting Group while agreeing to purchase StoneCastle Cash Management. Pending regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close by early 2026.

In Canada, Fiserv also purchased part of TD Bank’s merchant processing business, extending Clover’s footprint and deepening its technology partnership with TD Bank through a multi-year managed services agreement.

Fiserv now expects organic revenue growth of 3.5% to 4% and adjusted EPS between $8.50 and $8.60 for 2025, down from earlier projections. The revised guidance reflects near-term softness but positions the company for what management views as a more sustainable trajectory under its new strategy.

About the Author: Jared Kirui
Jared Kirui
  • 2473 Articles
  • 50 Followers
About the Author: Jared Kirui
Jared is an experienced financial journalist passionate about all things forex and CFDs.
  • 2473 Articles
  • 50 Followers

More from the Author

FinTech

!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|} !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}