Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) agreed to pay $210 million to settle a securities class action brought by investors who alleged that the company misled them about the financial impact of its 2019 acquisition of Worldpay. The settlement was reached on December 17, 2025 and announced on December 23, 2025, after a series of legal proceedings that began in May 2020 and concluded in February 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claimed that FIS’s executives made materially false or misleading statements about the Worldpay deal, which was originally valued at approximately $43 billion, including debt. Investors argued that the company overstated the expected synergies and understated the risks, leading to an artificial inflation of FIS shares. The class period covered May 7, 2020 to February 10, 2023, a window that included the announcement of a $17.6 billion write‑down in February 2023 and the subsequent sale of a 55 % stake in Worldpay to GTCR for $11.7 billion in July 2023.
Under the settlement terms, FIS will pay $210 million, with a recovery of about 42 cents per share for “damaged shares.” After deducting legal fees and expenses—estimated at up to $47.5 million plus interest—the net payout to investors is expected to be roughly 32 cents per share. FIS’s CEO Stephanie Ferris and former CEO Gary Norcross, among other defendants, have denied any wrongdoing, but the settlement resolves the claims and eliminates the risk of further litigation.
The Worldpay transaction has been a costly chapter for FIS. After the acquisition, the company faced integration challenges and declining revenue from the payments unit, prompting a $17.6 billion write‑down in February 2023. FIS then sold a majority stake to GTCR and, in April 2025, agreed to sell its remaining stake to Global Payments for $6.6 billion. These divestitures reduced FIS’s exposure to the payments business but also reflected a strategic shift away from that segment. The settlement underscores the financial and reputational impact of the acquisition and the importance of accurate disclosure to investors.
Management’s stance on the settlement signals a willingness to resolve the dispute while maintaining its broader strategy. The company has continued to focus on its core banking and payment processing services, but the settlement may prompt tighter scrutiny of future acquisitions and financial reporting. Investors will likely monitor FIS’s subsequent filings for any changes in disclosure practices or additional legal actions related to the Worldpay deal.
The settlement does not alter FIS’s current financial statements but adds a $210 million liability to its balance sheet and may influence investor perception of the company’s governance and risk management. The resolution also removes the uncertainty surrounding the lawsuit, allowing FIS to concentrate on its ongoing business operations and future growth initiatives.
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