15 Most Crowded Hedge Fund Stocks That Are Targeted by Short Sellers

12. Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

Short Interest:  3.14%

Global Payments Inc. operates as a software solutions and payment technology provider. The company operates in the Issuer Solutions and Merchant Solutions segments. It offers sales and deployment, authorization, customer support, reconciliation and dispute management, and other services.

RBC Capital Markets recently downgraded the stock from Outperform to Sector Perform, citing concerns over the company’s sale of the Issuer Solutions business and planned acquisition of Worldpay. The investment bank also lowered its target price from $139 to $86. Analysts are cautious over the deal’s potential success, highlighting potential distractions for management and execution risks.

Analyst Dan Perlin noted:

“We believe large ‘Scale Motivated’ transactions designed to protect an incumbent position and fend off more nimble innovators tend to be very long battles and haven’t proven to be overly successful.”

For 2025, the company expects adjusted net revenue growth of 5% to 6% on a constant currency basis. The Merchant Solutions segment is anticipated to grow around 6%, along with the Issuer Solutions division’s projected growth of approximately 4%. Adjusted operating margins are predicted to increase by 50 basis points for the year. Global Payments announced a share repurchase plan worth $250 million to optimize shareholders’ return.