Among dividend growth stocks, Dividend Aristocrats stand out more than nearly every other group of dividend stocks. That's because these S&P 500 index ( SP500 ) components have proven themselves. Scott Kaufman, aka Treading Softly, learned about investing firsthand from over a decade of financial sector experience. He is the lead analyst for Dividend Kings providing actionable insight into high quality dividend growing and undervalued opportunities. His focus is to see a bountiful harvest of cash dividends ...

Group 1: Walmart Overview - Walmart has surpassed $1 trillion in market capitalization, becoming the 10th U.S. company to achieve this milestone [1] - Despite strong performance, Walmart's growth is not sufficient to justify its high forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 45.2, which is nearly double the S&P 500's 23.6 [3] - Expectations indicate that Walmart will underperform the S&P 500 over the next five years [4] Group 2: Competitors Analysis - ExxonMobil is expected to deliver double-digit earnings and cash flow growth through 2030, with a market cap around $620 billion, potentially joining the $1 trillion club by 2030 [7][8] - Visa is highlighted as a superior investment compared to Walmart, with a forward P/E of 24.4 and a strong business model that benefits from both transaction volume and frequency [10][12] - ASML, despite being expensive at 40.2 times forward earnings, offers better growth prospects and has shown resilience in the semiconductor industry with a 31.5% year-to-date gain [13][14]

Core Viewpoint - American Express and Visa are strong investment options, with Visa being more compelling due to its business model and current valuation [1][11]. Group 1: Company Performance - American Express has increased by 160.4% over the last five years, outperforming the S&P 500's 73.7% gain [1]. - Visa has experienced a decline of 11.2% over the past year, while American Express has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for five consecutive years [6]. Group 2: Business Models - Visa operates as a payment processor without bearing credit risk, partnering with banks like JPMorgan Chase, which issues cards and assumes credit risk [2]. - American Express functions as both a payment processor and card issuer, making it riskier due to its exposure to credit risk and high costs associated with rewards programs [4]. Group 3: Financial Metrics - Visa is characterized as a capital-light, high-margin business, with expenses primarily related to labor, cybersecurity, and marketing, allowing it to generate profits without significant capital investment [5]. - Visa is currently trading at a discount to its five-year median price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-free-cash-flow (FCF) ratios, while American Express is trading at a premium [6]. Group 4: Market Concerns - Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have seen declines between 8.8% and 10.4% year-to-date, attributed to consumer spending concerns and a proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates [8]. - The proposed cap may lead to limited credit access for consumers with lower credit scores, potentially increasing reliance on higher-interest options like payday loans [9]. Group 5: Investment Appeal - Visa is well-positioned to navigate economic uncertainty and industry policy changes, making its current valuation attractive for investors [11]. - Visa is recognized as a leading card brand globally, with a solid balance sheet and international exposure, appealing to a wide range of investors [12][13].

​Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is one of the Best Dip Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. On February 19, Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) announced that it has agreed to buy two key payment companies, including Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay, from Advent International. Management noted that these strategic acquisitions will boost the company’s presence in Argentina, where digital payments are growing rapidly. The acquisitions will help Visa dominate the market by combining the local presence of these companies with Visa’s ...

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / February 20, 2026 / Verdera Energy Corp. (TSXV:V)("Verdera" or the "Company") (formerly POCML 7 Inc). announced today that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding securities of Verdera Energy Corp. (to be renamed Verdera Energy Holdings Inc.) (the "Target"). ...

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bearish move on Visa. Our analysis of options history for Visa (NYSE:V) revealed 18 unusual trades.Delving into the details, we found 16% of traders were bullish, while 27% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 9 were puts, with a value of $1,368,111, and 9 were calls, valued at $805,230.What's The Price Target?Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $295.0 to ...

Visa has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Argentine payments platforms Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay from private-equity firm Advent International. Prisma, which was formed in 2014 following the merger of Visa Argentina and Banelco, provides issuer processing for credit, debit and prepaid cards. According to a Reuters report, Prisma processes more than six billion transactions a year for the country’s leading banks. Newpay operates multi-network payments infrastructure in Argentina. Its serv ...

In this article, we will look at the 11 Best Dip Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.​On February 17, Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, appeared on a CNBC Television interview to discuss the way forward amidst the volatility. He noted that we are in a completely different market as compared to 2025, as there is no longer the investor’s love for AI. El-Erian highlighted that the current market is defined and will continue to be defined by three words: volatility, dispersion, and fragmen ...

Advent International, a global private equity investor, announced on Thursday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Prisma and Newpay to Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) .Both companies are subsidiaries of Group Prisma, a major player in the Argentine payments sector.Strategic Transformation and SeparationDuring its period of ownership, Advent oversaw a strategic transformation that divided Group Prisma into three independent platforms: Prisma, Newpay, and Payway.Under the terms of the deal, Visa will a ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RemoFirst today announced the expansion of its RemoVisa service to support visa and work permit applications in more than 110 countries worldwide. The enhanced coverage spans Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Oceania, further strengthening RemoFirst’s ability to help companies compliantly hire and relocate international talent. RemoVisa operates as an extension of RemoFirst’s Employer of Record platform, enabling businesses to manage immigrat ...