Wellington Hds. Share Discussion Threads

[waldron] 16/12/2021 10:16

Invest Securities reaffirms its 'buy' advice on Worldline while lowering its price target from 85 to 80 euros, judging that it "seems difficult at this stage to identify the next catalysts that could allow to reactivate a positive momentum for the sector".

In an update study, the analyst seeks to explain the violent stock market underperformance of 2021 (-49 points) and concludes that the investment thesis is not modified (2024 objectives without much surprise).

"Sector derating is not supported today by tangible elements, as fears of disruption by new players are not felt, both in current performance and in the outlook of companies," he explains.

[waldron] 12/12/2021 18:27

Consensus

Mean consensus BUY

Number of Analysts 21

Last Close Price 48,13 €

Average target price 73,97 €
Spread / Average Target 53,7%

High Price Target 100,00 €
Spread / Highest target 108%

Low Price Target 38,30 €
Spread / Lowest Target -20,4%

[sarkasm] 07/12/2021 09:41

finextra.com

Worldline pays €256 million for 80% stake in Eurobank Merchant Acquiring
17 minutes ago
0
0
0

Payment processor Worldline is to buy an 80% stake in Eurobank Merchant Acquiring, one of the main acquirers in Greece with a 20% market share.
Eurobank Merchant Acquiring manages 219 million transactions acquired per year representing a payment volume of €7 billion from a 190,000 POS network and a portfolio of 123,000 merchants.

The €256 million deal comes six month after the vendor sealed the acquisition of 92.5% of the share capital of Cardlink, a Network Services Provider for both Eurobank and Alpha Bank. Eurobank will add additional revenue of €35 million at closing with expected double-digit organic growth over the next four years

Gilles Grapinet, CEO of Worldline, says: "The combination of both companies will create a meaningful, comprehensive and leading position in the fast-growing Greek market that is driven by a steady ongoing adoption of electronic payments. This transaction offers attractive development opportunities for Worldline in the coming years, building on our direct access to an existing merchants portfolio with a full suite of end-to-end payment solutions.

Worldline is a relative latecomer to the Greek market noting Euronet (Piraeus), EVO Payments (National Bank) and Nexi (Alphabank) have all engaged in acquisitions of books in Greece that are larger than Eurobank's.

[sarkasm] 07/12/2021 09:08

Oddo maintains its 'outperformance' rating on Worldline shares, with an unchanged price target of €77.

The analysis office reports that Worldline announced this morning the signing of an agreement providing for the acquisition of 80% of the merchant acquisition activities of Eurobank, one of the four systemic banks in Greece. The transaction – which is estimated to be disbursed at approximately €256 million – is expected to close in the second half of 2022.

For Worldline, this operation is an opportunity to significantly develop its Merchant Services activities. "In addition, exposure to the Greek economy, supported by the tourism and hospitality industry, offers additional growth opportunities," notes Oddo, who considers the title 'cheap'.

[waldron] 28/11/2021 05:41

Cash losing out to digital payments


From cash to cards to contactless, these days, payments are all up in the air

Sponsored Article

28th November, 2021

Collecting the drinks, the young American woman at the bar held out her arm.

Flummoxed, the barman gave her a fist pump. No, I want to pay with my watch, she said. It sounds absurd now, but this scene was related to this writer by a relative and occurred just a few years ago. Payments have certainly come a long way in recent years.

In fact, it wasn’t so terribly long ago that credit card payments required signing a receipt with a pen and online debit card payments were close to impossible as Ireland had its own debit card system that no other country joined.

Today, Visa and Mastercard dominate, online services including Square, Stripe, PayPal and Worldpay are common, Google Wallet and Apple Pay are supported by a dizzying array of devices, and neo-banks such as Revolut and N26 are used by many for discretionary payments.


Ireland is not quite the leader of the pack when it comes to digital payments, but nor is it a laggard. According to European Central Bank (ECB) statistics published in July this year, in 2020 the total number of non-cash payments made in person in the euro area increased by 3.7 per cent to 101.6 billion and the total value increased by 8.7 per cent to €167.3 trillion.

For its part, the Central Bank of Ireland said the total value of payment transactions increased by 52 per cent in 2020.

Even France, where cheque books are still a necessity (yes, really), has seen massive growth in card and contactless (taken together, use has doubled since 2016), but Banque de France figures indicate that cash remains king, accounting for 59 per cent of payments in 2019, versus 24 per cent for cards and 3 per cent for all other payment methods from cheques to mobile wallets.

Hard figures are not yet available for 2020, but Covid, of course, is expected to be a factor, with 39 per cent of French residents reporting they have reduced their use of cash since the pandemic began.

Famously cash-heavy due to an aversion to credit, even Germany has seen cash payments drop from 74 per cent in 2017 to 60 per cent last year. Thirty per cent of in-person transactions were via card, according to the Bundesbank. Still, baby steps: compare this to Sweden, where many shops simply have no cash-handling facilities at all.

According to Lorraine Higgins, secretary general of Digital Business Ireland, the much-heralded end of cash has been a major topic of discussion over the last 18 months. While it still seems that physical cash is unlikely to disappear, the rapid growth in the popularity of contactless payments indicates consumer trends are shifting.

“For businesses, having contactless payment functionality has become an absolute necessity. What might have been viewed as a ‘perk’ for consumers in previous years, has now become a core part of the customer experience,” she said.

The question now is: will plastic cards disappear before cash, much as CDs have declined more to a lower status than vinyl even as streaming has become the predominant method for listening to music.

“While there is no indication to suggest that device payments will fully replace physical cards, the enhanced customer experience offered by m-commerce is likely to prove increasingly popular among consumers,” Higgins said.

While initially the product of an increasingly digitalised economy, the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the demand for cashless payments.

Higgins said that while initially the product of an increasingly digitised economy, the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the demand for cashless payments. This tallies with reports from Europe’s central banks, all of which note at least a cohort of people wanting to minimise their exposure to the virus, even if some of us who happen to enjoy human contact bristle at the proliferation of QR codes and automated checkouts.

Making long-term predictions is a mug’s game, but in the short to medium term, even as the pandemic – hopefully – fades into memory, card, contactless and device-based payment is likely to become ingrained.

“Without a doubt, Covid-19 accelerated the digitalisation of our economy – and it is highly unlikely that we will see consumers return to their pre-pandemic habits. Prior to the onset of Covid-19 we had witnessed a natural transition towards contactless payments and m-commerce. However, it is now fair to say that consumers have grown somewhat accustomed to the convenience offered to them by this technology, and as a result will continue to further these trends in the years ahead,” Higgins said.

Interesting times, no doubt. In the end, though, in most cases it doesn’t matter what form the ‘cash’ in your pocket takes. What matters is how much you have.

Sponsored
Focus On

[grupo guitarlumber] 21/11/2021 18:50

Consensus


Mean consensus BUY

Number of Analysts 21

Last Close Price 50,13 €

Average target price 74,32 €
Spread / Average Target 48,2%

High Price Target 100,00 €
Spread / Highest target 99,5%

Low Price Target 38,30 €
Spread / Lowest Target -23,6%

[adrian j boris] 08/11/2021 10:24

In a research note, UBS analyst Hannes Leitner has maintained his recommendation on the stock with a Buy rating. Previously set at EUR 85.20, the target price is lowered to EUR 68.

[waldron] 07/10/2021 14:19

Invest Securities has reduced its price target from €96 to €84 and confirmed its Buy recommendation on Worldline.

According to the design office, the sale of terminals remains the main catalyst on the stock and the short-term priority of the management, so that it can present on October 27 medium-term objectives based solely on payment services activities.

The analyst lowered its valuation due to the rise in the weighted average cost of capital.

[waldron] 22/8/2021 09:45

Worldline and Bitcoin Suisse launch WL Crypto Payments in Switzerland

DisruptorsCrypto Currencies

By NS Banking Staff Writer 20 Aug 2021

85’000 merchants in Switzerland can now conveniently offer crypto payments through seamless integration in the Worldline payment infrastructure powered by Bitcoin Suisse
bitcoin-2643159_640(2)

Worldline and Bitcoin Suisse launch WL Crypto Payments in Switzerland. (Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)

Worldline [Euronext: WLN] and Bitcoin Suisse announce the go-live of their omnichannel crypto payment solution for the more than 85’000 Swiss merchants in the Worldline network. Now all merchants in Switzerland using the Worldline point-of-sale and e-commerce payment services can let their clients pay in Bitcoin and Ether as easily as with other traditional payment options.

As the largest and most popular cryptocurrency in the world, Bitcoin has gained wide interest in recent years. Now thanks to the collaboration between Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry, and Bitcoin Suisse, the Swiss market leader in crypto-financial services, payments with cryptocurrencies become widely available for merchants and their customers in Switzerland.

The integrated service offered by Worldline and Bitcoin Suisse, named WL Crypto Payments, lets merchants accept Bitcoin and Ether as a payment option at the point-of-sale (POS) and in e-commerce. Merchants can easily download the WL Crypto Payments mobile app or conveniently install the Worldline payment plugin for their webshop. Clients paying with crypto may do so through their usual mobile crypto wallet application. Prices shown by the merchant in CHF, can be, upon selection by the customer, alternatively quoted in Bitcoin or Ether in real time, paid for with crypto, and get confirmed to the merchant instantly. WL Crypto Payments enables merchants to offer payments with cryptocurrencies without being exposed to volatility risks, as the crypto transaction is securely converted into Swiss Francs straight after payment confirmation. Merchants benefit further by settlement in Swiss Francs and pay-out processes bundled with other payment options, like credit cards.

The crypto payments collaboration between Worldline and Bitcoin Suisse was first announced in November 2019. The rollout to all Worldline merchants in Switzerland was preceded by a successful pilot program.

Worldline Switzerland CEO Marc Schluep commented: “The launch of cryptocurrencies acceptance at the POS in Switzerland is a great proof of our ambition: Worldline wants to bring tangible value to merchants across the globe and to facilitate smooth and modern payments in all the markets we operate in. We’re happy to collaborate with Bitcoin Suisse on this forward-looking project.”
Bitcoin Suisse CEO Dr. Arthur Vayloyan added: “This is a historic milestone for crypto adoption in Switzerland and beyond. It is a great pleasure working together with Worldline to bring user-friendly crypto payments to the market in Switzerland. This step proves once again that Switzerland is a leader in collaborative innovation and a pioneer in the crypto and blockchain industry.”

Source: Company Press Release

[adrian j boris] 16/6/2021 08:23

WORLDLINE : Receives a Buy rating from Goldman Sachs
06/16/2021 | 08:09am BST


Already positive, the research from Goldman Sachs and its analyst Mohammed Moawalla still consider the stock as a Buy opportunity. The target price is still set at EUR 104.

[waldron] 28/5/2021 07:37

July 27, 2021

(before market opens)
H1 2021 results









October 19, 2021

(before market opens)
Q3 2021 revenue

[waldron] 28/5/2021 07:19

Worldline : to acquire Cardlink, the leading Network Services Provider in Greece
05/28/2021 | 06:30am BST


Worldline to acquire Cardlink,
the leading Network Services Provider in Greece

Acquisition of 92.5% of Cardlink, the leading Network Services Provider (NSP) in Greece, partnering with the CEO keeping 7.5% ownership

Strategic opportunity to expand Worldline’s Merchant Services business in the promising Greek market with a unique access to the leading local payment acceptance network

Up to 243,000 merchants served and 500 million transactions managed per year

€ 155 million enterprise value representing a c.11x EV/2020 OMDA multiple

Bezons, May 28, 2021 – Worldline [Euronext: WLN], a global leader in the payments industry, today announced the signing of a bidding agreement for the acquisition of 92.5% of the share capital of Cardlink, the leading Network Services Provider in Greece.

[la forge] 14/4/2021 09:31

fintechtimes


HomeWorld MenuEuropeWorldline Releases New Omnichannel Payment Solution for Electric Vehicle Charging

Worldline Releases New Omnichannel Payment Solution for Electric Vehicle Charging
by Polly Jean HarrisonApril 14, 2021


Worldline, a European provider in the payments and transactional services industry, has announced the release of a new unified payment solution that allows consumers in Europe to pay for electric vehicle (EV) charging quickly, conveniently and safely.

The use of EVs is soaring across Europe, with 455,000 vehicles in the United Kingdom at the end of February, while Germany registered 20,000 electric cars in a single month. EV registrations are overtaking diesel vehicles and there is a 71% jump in electric vehicle purchases projected for 2021. The European EV fleet is projected to grow from 2.3 million in 2020 to 34 million by 2030, with public EV chargers growing from 200,000 today to as many as 3 million by 2030.

The growth of EV charging presents a challenge in terms of payments since charging stations are unattended, leading to a risk of non-payment, and will be used by customers with a range of currencies and payment methods. The market requires an end-to-end offering with omnichannel capabilities that allows for app-based, contactless and PIN pad payment authorisation. These payments will also have to be pre-authorised and allow for payment in multiple currencies.

Worldline’s Easy EV solution, suitable for both big infrastructure or as a one-stop-shop for smaller players, addresses the needs of both EV charging geographies and client business models. Payments can be taken on four different card readers with both touchscreen and press-button operation and includes simplified acquiring coverage over Europe. The solution will be rolled out to infrastructure owners, charging point operations, electric mobility providers and EV charger manufacturers across the continent to help supercharge their businesses.

Given the explosive growth of both EVs and digital payments, the WL Easy EV payment solution is uniquely positioned to impact not just the EV charging market, but to become part of everyday life for millions of people across Europe as EVs become more common.

Radu-Vasile Pop, Global Head of Self-Service Verticals, Parking & EV-Charging at Worldline said: “As the world looks to reduce vehicle emissions, our goal is to address all the payment challenges of EV charging in Europe with a simple, smooth and secure customer experience together with a fast & flexible payment process for operators and consumers alike. Our WL Easy EV payment solution combines the best of unattended and online/in-app payments to truly electrify journeys.”
Author

Polly Jean Harrison

Polly is a journalist, content creator and general opinion holder from North Wales. She has written for a number of publications, usually hovering around the topics of fintech, tech, lifestyle and body positivity.

[sarkasm] 15/12/2020 07:39

SYDNEY--Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. has formed a joint venture with European payments company Worldline to provide payments technology and merchant services in Australia.

The Australian bank said Tuesday the tieup involves the formation of a newly created merchant acquiring group. ANZ will have a 49% stake, and Worldline holding a 51% controlling interest.

The new entity will provide access to technology point-of-sale and online payments to small business, commercial and institutional customers in Australia.

"Through this joint venture we will further enhance our capability as a leading transaction bank while continuing to manage customer relationships for broader banking needs. This is another example of our strategy to create a simpler and more digitally focused bank," said Mark Hand, ANZ Executive Australia Retail and Commercial.

In setting up the joint venture, Worldline said it has paid 485 million Australian dollars (US$365.4 million) for a 51% stake in ANZ's commercial acquiring business.

"I am very honored that Worldline has been selected by ANZ to take over the control of its merchant acquiring business as the long term partner of choice to deliver state-of-the-art products and services to its very large portfolio of merchant customers," said Gilles Grapinet, Worldline's Chief Executive.

"Australia is a highly attractive strategic market as it is very close to Europe in terms of market structure, standards and technology, with a high level adoption of electronic payments," he said.

ANZ estimated that completion of the transaction will increase its Level 2 CET1 capital ratio by 5 basis points. The transaction is expected to be completed in late 2021 and is subject to approvals and card scheme arrangements



Write to Alice Uribe at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 14, 2020 17:38 ET (22:38 GMT)

[waldron] 14/12/2020 17:45

Worldline said Monday that it has signed an agreement with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. to acquire a 51% stake in the bank's commercial-acquiring business as the company seeks to expand its merchant-services business outside of Europe.

The French fintech company said the stake acquisition is for a cash consideration of around 485 million Australian dollars ($365.4 million).

"Australia is a highly attractive strategic market as it is very close to Europe in terms of market structure, standards and technology, with a high level adoption of electronic payments. Backed by a solid macroeconomic environment and a strong long-term growth potential, the Australian market represents a rare opportunity to scale-up our platforms and roll-out our innovative solutions in very close partnership with such a leading institution as ANZ," said Worldline Chief Executive Gilles Grapinet.

The two companies are establishing a joint venture to operate and develop commercial-acquiring services in Australia, with Worldline retaining 51% and ANZ the remaining 49%.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, Worldline said.



Write to Mauro Orru at [e-mail]; @MauroOrru94



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 14, 2020 12:23 ET (17:23 GMT)

[misca2] 06/6/2020 11:45

October 21, 2020

(before market opens)
Third Quarter 2020 revenue

July 21, 2020

(before market opens)
Half-year 2020 results

[misca2] 06/6/2020 11:44

nest strong resistence seems to be71.80 euros