Since 2024, influenced by the repeated strength of the US dollar and a high interest rate environment, the global economic recovery still lacks smoothness. Faced with the unpredictable external environment, adopting a defensive and shrinking stance in business is certainly a common way for enterprises to mitigate risks. However, as the saying goes, profits and losses originate from the same source, and human economic history has repeatedly proven that although uncertain market conditions may bring risks, they may also accelerate the process of nurturing new enormous opportunities in certain commercial areas.

In the past few years, the electronic payment industry has shown strong growth momentum. According to the third-party institution Capgemini's forecast, the global non-cash payment CAGR from 2022 to 2027 is 15%, and the market size is expected to reach $2.3 trillion by 2027.

In the long-term perspective, considering the world's shift towards the digital economy and cashlessness as an irreversible trend, the electronic payment industry will obviously remain a 'gold track' with significant growth potential in the future. Based on this judgment, for secondary market investors, strategically seizing the opportunity to go long on relevant symbols at this stage is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment strategy.

iFeng Finance app has noticed that in recent times, Pax Global (00327), a payment terminal supplier with business spanning the globe, has been actively exploring the untapped potential of the electronic payment industry with an international perspective and an enterprising entrepreneurial spirit.

For example, last month, Pax announced a partnership between Pax (France) and Green-Pay to deploy the advanced Android smart terminal A920 that meets UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) regional standards in West Africa; earlier, Pax partnered with Bindo Labs to successfully deploy the A930 payment terminal equipped with the Wonder app in nearly 2,000 taxis in Hong Kong; and earlier in late August this year, Pax also collaborated intensively with Singapore Metro Company SMRT Corporation to fully support the fourth 'Tap For Hope' fundraising event and jointly create a new electronic fundraising model.

Looking at it item by item, it is undoubtedly significant that Pax's increased investment in the West African region is correct and far-reaching. In terms of importance, the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region is the region with the highest revenue contribution for Pax Global at present, occupying a pivotal strategic position in the company's global business landscape.

In the Middle East and Africa, due to their relatively backward development level, the cash usage rate in these two regions is several times higher than in developed regions at the current stage. However, it can be foreseen that Pax's payment terminal solution still has tremendous growth potential in these underdeveloped areas as the infrastructure for cashless payments gradually improves.

It is understood that the Green-Pay, the Ivorian payment provider Pax cooperated with this time, the cooperation between the two parties will strengthen Pax's efforts to promote a cashless society in Côte d'Ivoire and the entire UEMOA region. At present, the two parties have launched the A920 model locally, and the next step is that Pax's new A8900 smart terminal model launched earlier this year is also expected to be unveiled in this market soon. What is even more anticipated is that with Pax's strong alliance with local suppliers, the company's growth potential in West Africa is expected to accelerate, which is predicted to soon be reflected in Pax's upcoming financial reports.

In the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region, which has achieved strong performance over the years, Pax Global continues to consolidate its leading position in the region by staying steady. As mentioned earlier, in the key city of Hong Kong, Pax has introduced its most powerful mobile Android payment solution, the A930 payment terminal, which has now been deployed in nearly 2,000 taxis, with plans to cover up to 8,000 taxis by the end of the year. This milestone cooperation not only signifies an important step forward in the modernization of Hong Kong's taxi payment system but also has a positive impact on Pax's further deepening of its influence in the Hong Kong market.

Not surprisingly, in Singapore, another important market in the Asia-Pacific region, Pax Global also assisted SMRT in carrying out the "Tap For Hope" fundraising campaign as an important supporting partner. It is reported that Pax introduced the innovative product Pax IM30 self-service device in this event. This product not only meets the EVA standards but also becomes the ideal choice for various unmanned scenarios due to its easy integration feature, perfectly adapting to the modern electronic fundraising new model.

While expanding its business in various regions, Pax Global also seizes market opportunities by accelerating the company's influence in global markets through external M&A. Regarding this, the most recent example is the agreement signed in the middle of this year by Pax Global's wholly-owned subsidiary, Pax Technology Limited, with the existing shareholders of Pax Technology Australia PTY Ltd (hereinafter referred to as the "target company"), to conditionally acquire all the equity of the target company for an initial consideration of approximately 5.4 million Australian dollars.

It is understood that the target company mainly provides electronic payment terminals in Australia and New Zealand, and has shown strong growth momentum in the past few years. Through this acquisition, Pax is expected to generate good synergies with the target company, enhance the visibility of the Pax brand locally, and inject new momentum for the company to establish a broader influence in the local market.

In summary, the development trend of the global electronic payment industry has taken shape and will continue to strengthen in the future. External interfering factors may affect the growth pace temporarily, but ultimately cannot change the overall development trend. Positioned on this "golden track," Pax Global, which is advancing business expansion through a series of high-quality measures, is undoubtedly doing the right thing at the right time. From an investment perspective, Pax of this kind naturally attracts considerable attention. Including it in the long-term tracking list is probably a wise move for investors.