MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. Bank, a leading provider of payment services and solutions, today announced a new business credit card designed to help small business owners navigate fluctuations in finances and resources: the U.S. Bank Business Shield™ Visa® Card. This new business credit card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 billing cycles when applying at any U.S. Bank branch and 12 billing cycles when applying in digital channels – all with no annual. ...

Visa (NYSE: V) is a dominant force in the world of payments. Its branded cards are accepted in virtually all corners of the world. It benefits from a robust network effect. And it's poised to keep riding the wave that sees greater adoption of digital payments. Here's one prediction for Visa in 2026. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Image source: Visa. Smooth sailing I pr ...

Group 1: Company Performance - Visa reported a year-over-year revenue growth of 15% in Q1 2026, with diluted earnings per share (EPS) increasing by 17% [1] - Mastercard's revenue in Q4 2025 increased by 18%, and diluted EPS soared by 24% [1] Group 2: Market Position and Growth Potential - Both Visa and Mastercard benefit from strong network effects, with high adoption rates of their branded cards among consumers and strong merchant acceptance [3] - Mastercard, being a smaller business, has a larger growth opportunity compared to Visa, suggesting that its revenue and earnings could expand at a faster rate if it approaches Visa's market share [3] Group 3: Investment Considerations - Neither Visa nor Mastercard currently offers a good value opportunity, with price-to-earnings ratios of 32.8 and 34.8, respectively, indicating a lack of margin of safety [4] - Investors may consider owning both stocks despite their high valuations, as Mastercard has greater growth potential but is also more expensive [4]

Core Insights - Visa reported a net income of $10.9 billion for its fiscal first quarter of 2026, exceeding Wall Street forecasts and marking a 15% increase from the previous year [1] - The company's performance was driven by growth in payments volume, cross-border volume, and processed transactions, with net revenue rising 13% on a constant-dollar basis [1] Financial Performance - Payments volume increased by 8% year-over-year on a constant-dollar basis, while cross-border volume (excluding Europe) rose by 11% [2] - Total cross-border volume increased by 12% on a constant-dollar basis, and processed transactions reached 69.4 billion, a 9% increase from the prior year [2] - GAAP net income for the quarter was $5.9 billion, or $3.03 per share, reflecting increases of 14% and 17% respectively compared to the previous year [3] Special Items and Investments - The current year's results included special items totaling $707 million related to litigation provisions and $333 million from a deferred tax benefit due to changes in US taxation [3] - Additional costs included $7 million in net losses from equity investments and $66 million related to amortization of acquired intangible assets [4] - Visa's CEO highlighted strong performance driven by consumer spending and investments in technology and infrastructure [4][5]

Market Performance - The broad U.S. market started the year positively, with the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF (SPY) posting a gain despite some elevated volatility in the final week of January [1]

Core Insights - Visa held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders virtually, where shareholders voted on eight proposals, including director elections and executive compensation [3] - The company reported strong fiscal 2025 results with $40 billion in net revenue, an 11% increase year-over-year, and returned $22.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [5][13] Shareholder Proposals - Shareholders approved the election of all 11 directors, the advisory vote on executive compensation, auditor ratification, and amendments to the certificate of incorporation, while rejecting all four shareholder-sponsored proposals [6][11] - The rejected proposals included requests for an independent chair policy, action by written consent, an online sexual exploitation report, and an inclusion program ROI report [6][11] Financial Performance - Visa's GAAP EPS was $10.20 (up 5%) and non-GAAP EPS was $11.47 (up 14%) for fiscal 2025 [5][13] - The company processed $16.7 trillion in total volume, an increase of 7% on a constant-dollar basis, and 329 billion total transactions, up 8% [14] Strategic Highlights - Management emphasized progress in digital payments, including over 16 billion Visa tokens and more than 50% tokenization of e-commerce transactions [4][15] - Visa aims to build an interoperable layer between stablecoins and traditional fiat payments, viewing stablecoins and central bank digital currencies as significant opportunities [18] Capital Allocation - The company outlined four capital allocation priorities: investing in the business, returning 20-25% of EPS via dividends, returning excess capital through buybacks, and maintaining a target gross debt-to-EBITDA ratio below 1.5x [19]

Core Viewpoint - The recent sell-off in Mastercard and Visa stocks presents a significant buying opportunity for long-term investors despite concerns over consumer spending and proposed interest rate caps [1]. Financial Performance - Mastercard's revenue increased by 18%, while Visa's revenue rose by 15% [4]. - Mastercard's operating income grew by 25%, with operating margins reaching 55.8% and diluted EPS increasing by 24% [4]. - Visa's operating margin was 61.8%, with non-GAAP EPS rising by 15% [4]. Market Dynamics - Both companies reported high-single-digit to low-double-digit increases in payment volume and frequency, indicating resilience in their business models [5]. - The fee structure of Mastercard and Visa is based on transaction frequency and total sales, making them somewhat recession-resistant [5]. Shareholder Returns - In 2025, Mastercard returned $11.73 billion through stock buybacks and $2.76 billion in dividends, while Visa's latest quarter saw $3.73 billion in buybacks and $1.29 billion in dividends [8]. - Both companies yield less than 1% due to a preference for buybacks over dividends, but if funds were reallocated, Mastercard could yield about 3% and Visa about 3.1% [9]. Valuation and Investment Thesis - Both stocks are considered reasonably valued based on price-to-free cash flow and forward earnings expectations [10]. - Mastercard and Visa are viewed as foundational stocks for long-term portfolios due to their strong business models and global network effects [12]. Regulatory Environment - Concerns about capping credit card interest rates at 10% may persist, but it is believed that such a low cap would lead financial institutions to restrict credit access, ultimately harming consumers [13].

Core Insights - Visa Inc. is recognized as one of the 12 Best Stocks to Buy for the Long Term [1] - Piper Sandler has adjusted its price target for Visa shares from $165 to $160 while maintaining an Overweight rating [2] - Visa's revenue is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.9% from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2025, with expectations of continued double-digit growth in the coming years [3] Market Dynamics - The U.S. remains Visa's largest market, but faster growth is anticipated in emerging economies such as parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where digital payments are still evolving [4] - The shift towards cashless and electronic payments, along with Visa's value-added services like analytics, consulting, and cybersecurity, are key drivers of growth as commerce becomes more digital [2][4] Company Overview - Visa Inc. operates as a global payments technology company, facilitating commerce and money movement across over 200 countries and territories [5]

吴说获悉，Visa 在最新财报电话会上披露，其稳定币结算规模已达到约 46 亿美元的年化水平。数据显 示，该规模较 2025 年 9 月增长约 4.6 倍，较年初增长约 18 倍。 （来源：吴说） Visa CEO Ryan McInerney 表示，稳定币结算需求正在同时来自原生加密客户与传统金融机构，Visa 也 已将基于 USDC 的稳定币结算能力扩展至美国本土，用于提升银行与金融科技机构的结算效率与流动 性，并推动企业资金管理体系的现代化。 ...

Visa and Mastercard positioned themselves as the connective tissue between blockchains and everyday commerce.Even as policymakers continue to refine the rules of the road for stablecoins, earnings season offered a clearer view of how the payment networks are already moving from concept to execution.By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Condi ...