Core and Main Inc vs Global Payments Inc — how do they compare? Core and Main Inc trades at $46.18 (market cap $8.73B), while Global Payments Inc trades at $88.53 (market cap $22.72B). The key difference: Global Payments Inc is far larger — about 2.6× Core and Main Inc's market cap, and Global Payments Inc pays a 1.16% dividend while Core and Main Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CNM | GPN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.73B | $22.72B |
Sector | Technology | Industrials |
52-Week High | $66.98 | $90.01 |
52-Week Low | $42.37 | $62.47 |
Enterprise Value | $11.02B | $40.87B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.16% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $46.06, down 0.52% on the day, with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.57 exceeding expectations. Financials show solid profitability with a 5.87% net income margin and 23.73% ROE, though debt levels remain elevated. Recent news includes institutional position adjustments and a $750 million senior notes offering priced in June 2026.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with analyst consensus favoring Buy ratings (57%). Key opportunities include margin expansion and municipal strength, while risks involve high debt, competitive pressures, and reliance on infrastructure spending. The stock's valuation at a P/E of 19.76 appears reasonable given growth prospects, but investors should monitor execution against FY26 revenue guidance of $7.8–7.9 billion.
Global Payments (GPN) trades at $88.65, up 2.93% today, with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 63.91% gross margin but negative net income margin and ROE. Recent Q2 2026 EPS of $3.46 beat estimates, though revenue guidance was trimmed. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $96.67 target.
GPN offers upside to analyst targets but faces risks from margin pressure and competitive fintech landscape. Debt-to-asset ratio rose to 41.57% in 2025, increasing financial leverage concerns. Investment appeal hinges on execution of the Genius platform strategy amid economic headwinds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →Global Payments is a leading provider of payment processing and software solutions and focuses on serving small and midsize merchants. The company operates in 30 countries and generates about one fourth of its revenue from outside North America, primarily in Europe and Asia. In 2019, Global Payments merged with Total System Services in an all-stock deal that gave Total System Services shareholders 48% of the combined company's shares.
Read more on GPN →