GP

Global Payments Inc. stock research

Dec 31, 2023

FY2023 Q4

Global Payments (GPN) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended Dec 31, 2023

Revenue declined sharply from the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, while gross profit also decreased but remained above revenue because cost of revenue was negative. Gross margin increased substantially compared to both periods, reflecting the unusual relationship between revenue and cost of revenue.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended Dec 31, 2023 · FY2023 Q4

Revenue declined sharply from the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, while gross profit also decreased but remained above revenue because cost of revenue was negative. Gross margin increased substantially compared to both periods, reflecting the unusual relationship between revenue and cost of revenue.

  • The most observable driver of gross margin is the negative cost of revenue, which causes gross profit to exceed revenue and inflates the margin ratio.
  • Compared to the prior quarter, revenue is lower and gross profit is lower, but gross margin is higher. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue is lower, gross profit is lower, and gross margin is higher.

Gross margin snapshot

The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.

Gross margin

563.0%

Gross profit

$896.1M

Revenue

$159.2M

Cost of revenue

-$736.9M

Quarter-over-quarter change

+500.0 pts

Year-over-year change

+504.2 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
Mar 31, 2023$2.3B$1.3B$947.8M58.7%
Jun 30, 2023$2.5B$1.5B$942.0M61.6%
Sep 30, 2023$2.5B$1.6B$915.5M63.0%
Dec 31, 2023$159.2M$896.1M-$736.9M563.0%

Quarterly comparisons

Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.

Previous-quarter change

Sep 30, 2023

+500.0 pts

Year-over-year change

Dec 31, 2022

+504.2 pts

What the margin says

Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.

The most observable driver of gross margin is the negative cost of revenue, which causes gross profit to exceed revenue and inflates the margin ratio.

Compared to the prior quarter, revenue is lower and gross profit is lower, but gross margin is higher. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue is lower, gross profit is lower, and gross margin is higher.

Monitor the sign and magnitude of cost of revenue in subsequent filings, as its negative value is the primary factor behind the current quarter's margin behavior.