Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) ranks among the best most active blue chip stocks to buy now. On December 24, Baird reiterated its Outperform rating on Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) with a $425 price target based on the company’s announcement of a $500 million financing for its litigation escrow account, which will result in revisions to the rate of conversion of its class B-1 and B-2 common stock into class A common stock. According to Baird’s analysis of the arrangement, the litigation escrow funding establishes a pool for ba ...

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Nearly a third of small businesses that assess credit card surcharges say that customers cancel purchases when they see the extra fee at checkout, according to J.D. Power survey released last week.  The data and analytics firm queried roughly 4,400 U.S. small businesses and found 35% include surcharges for customers who use credit cards, up slightly from 34% in th ...

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Merchants should support a swipe-fee settlement with Visa and Mastercard because it gives them more flexibility to impose surcharges, according to plaintiffs in a 21-year-old lawsuit targeting Visa and Mastercard fees. A proposed settlement with the two largest card networks over interchange fees and card-acceptance rules presents an opportunity to educate consume ...

Core Insights - Lemon has launched Argentina's first Bitcoin-backed credit card on Visa's network, allowing users to spend pesos while retaining their Bitcoin, treating digital assets as a financial safety net rather than a payment medium [1][9] Group 1: Product Features - The card allows users to access peso credit using Bitcoin as collateral, eliminating the need for traditional credit histories, thus separating long-term crypto investments from everyday spending [2] - Lemon plans to enhance the card by offering customizable collateral options and enabling payments in dollars through stablecoins [2] Group 2: User Engagement - Cardholders benefit from commission-free crypto purchases, early access to new features, and dedicated customer support, with initial maintenance fees waived to encourage early adoption [3] - Future discounts related to cryptocurrency activity are intended to maintain user engagement with the platform [3] Group 3: Industry Impact - The launch expands Visa's presence in emerging crypto-linked credit models, potentially increasing transaction volumes and collaborations, positioning crypto integration as a growth lever rather than a niche experiment [4][9] - Competitors like Mastercard and American Express are also advancing in the stablecoin space, with Mastercard partnering with various platforms to enhance blockchain payment adoption, while American Express is selectively entering the crypto credit market through partnerships [5][6][7] Group 4: Financial Performance - Visa's shares have increased by 2.7% over the past year, contrasting with a 13.3% decline in the industry [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2026 earnings indicates an 11.7% increase from the previous year, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.64, above the industry average of 19.75 [10][12]

Visa (V) stock has dropped by more than 6% in the last five trading days, although the overall market has remained fairly stable. The reason for this drop is not related to earnings or guidance but rather politics. Instead, President Donald Trump has renewed his attack on the swipe fees associated with credit cards. A market is likely to move quickly when politics meets profit pools, especially when it is as visible as it is with interchange rates. The value of Visa already embeds a degree of stability a ...

Core Insights - The "Golden Enterprise Project - Visa Promoting Cultural Tourism Consumption and Financial Empowerment for Small and Micro Enterprises" has achieved significant milestones in providing financial support to small and micro enterprises in the cultural tourism sector [1][8] - The project has served over 30,000 enterprises and merchants across nearly 20 cities in China through financial education initiatives [1][4] - Visa has enhanced the foreign card payment capabilities of over 5,000 small and micro enterprises in the "Beijing Central Axis Barrier-Free Payment Service Tourism Demonstration Zone," facilitating easier payment solutions for inbound tourists [1][5] Financial Support and Training Initiatives - Visa, in collaboration with the China Financial Education Development Foundation and other partners, is conducting financial capability training for small and micro enterprises to improve their digital operations and international payment processing [4][11] - The training programs cover major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Suzhou, reaching over 30,000 businesses [4][11] Market Recovery and Economic Impact - The Chinese inbound tourism market is recovering rapidly, with the number of inbound tourists exceeding the total for the entire year of 2024 by September 2025 [2][9] - In the first three quarters of 2025, Beijing's inbound tourism revenue reached $5.02 billion, surpassing the total for 2024, while Shanghai welcomed over 6.3 million inbound tourists, achieving 94.3% of 2024's total [2][9] Innovative Payment Solutions - Visa is promoting innovative payment solutions such as "camera scan payment" and "contactless payment" to enhance the payment experience for international tourists [6][13] - The "Beijing Central Axis" initiative has successfully upgraded the foreign card acceptance capabilities of merchants from over 1,000 to more than 5,000, with plans to replicate this model in other key inbound tourism cities [5][12] Future Plans - In 2026, Visa plans to collaborate with partners to advance projects in 15 pilot cities focused on international consumption environment construction, continuing to promote diverse payment solutions [7][14] - The company aims to enhance the inbound payment environment and improve the consumer experience for inbound tourists, contributing to the high-quality development of the inbound tourism sector [7][14]

Group 1 - Visa Inc. is considered one of the best stocks to buy in 2026 for beginners, with Citi and Bank of America reaffirming Buy ratings and setting price targets of $450 and $382 respectively [1][2] - Visa's Global Economic Outlook for 2026 indicates steady headline growth at 2.7%, while highlighting fundamental transformations in the global economy driven by evolving trade networks, AI adoption, and shifting investment patterns [2] - Wolfe Research and Bernstein also provided bullish outlooks for Visa, maintaining Buy ratings with price targets of $430 and $450 respectively [3] Group 2 - Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. reiterated a Hold rating on Visa, setting a lower price target of $330 [4] - Visa announced a strategic collaboration with Fiserv to enable Visa Intelligent Commerce and deploy Trusted Agent Protocol, enhancing merchants' capabilities in the evolving domain of Agentic AI [4][5] - The collaboration aims to combine Fiserv's extensive merchant network with Visa's authentication and commerce capabilities, providing essential infrastructure and trust for merchants in an increasingly automated commerce environment [5] Group 3 - Visa provides a range of digital payment services, including credit cards, debit cards, prepaid products, global ATMs, and commercial payment solutions [6]

Core Viewpoint - Visa is facing regulatory pressures that could impact its business model, particularly concerning swipe fees, but its strong fundamentals and growth prospects continue to attract positive analyst sentiment. Financial Performance - Visa reported fiscal 2025 GAAP net income of $20.1 billion ($10.20 per share) and non-GAAP net income of $22.5 billion ($11.47 per share), with net revenue of $40 billion, reflecting an 11% to 12% increase on a constant-currency basis [7] - In fiscal Q4, Visa achieved a GAAP profit of $5.1 billion ($2.62 per share) and a non-GAAP profit of $5.8 billion ($2.98 per share) on $10.7 billion of revenue, also up approximately 11% to 12% [7] - The company generated $6.1 billion in buybacks and dividends in the quarter, totaling $22.8 billion for the full year, supporting its premium valuation [7] Market Position and Valuation - Visa trades at about 26.8x forward earnings, significantly higher than the sector average of 11.5x, indicating its strong market position and growth outlook [2] - Despite a 3.6% increase over the past 52 weeks, Visa's stock is down approximately 6.3% year-to-date due to regulatory concerns [2] Regulatory Environment - The endorsement of the "Credit Card Competition Act" by President Trump has introduced new regulatory risks, potentially affecting Visa's swipe fee structure [6] - The proposed legislation could force large banks to offer merchants lower-cost routing options, challenging Visa's economic model [4] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts expect Visa's earnings for the upcoming quarter to be $3.14 per share, representing a 14.18% year-over-year growth [12] - Major firms like Bank of America and HSBC have upgraded Visa's stock to "Buy," citing strong fundamentals and growth potential despite regulatory risks [13][14] - The consensus among analysts is a "Strong Buy" rating, with a mean price target of $403.09, suggesting a potential upside of about 22.5% from current levels [14] Strategic Initiatives - Visa is collaborating with Fiserv to enhance its payment solutions, integrating AI-driven commerce capabilities to improve transaction processes for merchants [8][9] - The company is also expanding its real-time payment capabilities through partnerships like Lumanu, targeting creator and contractor payouts globally [11]

Core Viewpoint - The financial sector, particularly credit card issuers, is currently experiencing stock price declines despite potential long-term profitability due to proposed regulatory changes on interest rates [2][8]. Group 1: Impact of Proposed Interest Rate Cap - President Trump proposed a one-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates, effective January 20, which has led to significant declines in stock prices of major credit card issuers [2][3]. - Major credit card issuers such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Capital One Financial, and Citigroup saw stock declines ranging from 4.5% to 9.9% following the announcement [9]. - Payment networks Visa and Mastercard also experienced stock drops of 8% and 6.9%, respectively, indicating a broader impact on the financial sector [4]. Group 2: Historical Context and Legislative Challenges - Previous attempts to cap credit card interest rates have failed, with a similar proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders stalling in Congress last year [5][6]. - The financial industry is expected to strongly oppose the current proposal, suggesting that it is unlikely to be enacted [6][7]. - Analysts predict that the banking industry will effectively counter this proposal before it gains traction [7].

Core Viewpoint - Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is facing challenges due to President Trump's proposed 10% cap on credit card APR rates, impacting its stock performance and growth outlook [2]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Visa's shares have increased by 4% over the past year but have decreased by 5% year-to-date [2]. - The stock has struggled in the context of regulatory changes suggested by President Trump [2]. Group 2: Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - UBS has reiterated a Buy rating for Visa with a price target of $425, suggesting potential revenue growth acceleration in 2026 [2]. - Baird also maintained an Outperform rating and a $425 price target following Visa's announcement of a $500 million deposit in a litigation escrow account [2]. Group 3: Market Context - Visa is categorized as a payment processing company that does not engage in lending, which was highlighted in Jim Cramer's discussion regarding the implications of Trump's interest rate cap [2][3].