Globant Boosts Portfolio With Strategic Buyouts: Will the Stock Gain?
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Globant S.A. GLOB recently inked a definitive agreement to acquire IT consulting firm – Blankfactor – with expertise in Payments, Capital Markets and Banking. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed, and the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The initiative strengthens Globant's Payments Studio in North America, addressing the evolving needs of the financial services industry, which is increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI)-driven and cloud-based solutions.
U.S.-based Blankfactor, known for its proficiency in card issuing, merchant acquiring and securities finance, provides a consulting-led approach and deep vertical knowledge in the financial industry. Its prowess in cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Snowflake and Databricks allows it to serve some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including six of the top 10 payment processors.
By combining Blankfactor’s consulting-led engineering capabilities with GLOB’s scale and technological expertise, the firms will offer a comprehensive suite of services for financial institutions and grow their reach among potential customers. Blankfactor’s founders, along with their management and respective teams, will retain their leadership roles post-acquisition.
Synergies From Buyouts Powers GLOB’s Top Line
Globant remains focused on strategic acquisitions (especially organizations that specialize in digital transformation) to broaden its portfolio and fuel top-line expansion. In December 2023, it acquired a Brazil-based consultancy firm – Iteris Holding Ltda. – to drive digital transformation projects for clients and solidify its foothold in the country’s market. Earlier, it acquired Pentalog, a company that develops tech solutions for enterprises with significant digital exposure in key areas of finance, sports, gaming, travel and education, among others. Through this acquisition, Globant expanded its presence in France, with further plans to capture the Netherlands and DACH markets.
With the acquisition of ExperienceIT, Globant has expanded its business in the healthcare sector by setting up its first office in Minneapolis, MN, which is considered to have the best opportunities for healthcare, life sciences and advanced manufacturing in North America. It also acquired a New York-based creative consultancy business – Vertic. The buyout has aided Globant to enhance its global digital marketing network and commence operations in Denmark to serve companies based in the Nordic countries.
GLOB’s revenues in the last reported quarter soared 18.1% year over year to $587.5 million, driven by solid momentum across most of the business segments. Management highlighted massive growth of 130% in AI-related sales in the first half of 2024. The improvement in top-line expansion is likely to boost the stock’s trajectory.
For the year ended June 30, 2024, GLOB catered to 958 customers. It exited the last quarter with 29,112 headcounts, marking an increase of 12.2% year over year. For the third quarter, the company projects revenues in the band of $611-$617 million, or 12.1% to 13.2% year-over-year growth. For full-year 2024, management expects revenues within $2,407-$2,421 million, suggesting 14.8-15.5% year-over-year growth.
