Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of dividend investing as a pathway to financial freedom, highlighting its accessibility and potential for steady income [1]. Group 1: Author's Background and Expertise - The author has 10 years of experience in investment banking, specializing in M&A and business valuation, which includes evaluating numerous businesses and facilitating buy-side and sell-side transactions [1]. - The author's daily activities involve financial modeling, conducting commercial and financial due diligence, negotiating deal terms, and advising clients across various sectors such as tech, real estate, software, finance, and consumer staples [1]. Group 2: Investment Philosophy - The author believes that dividend investing is a straightforward and accessible method for individuals to work towards achieving financial freedom [1]. - The motivation for sharing insights on dividend investing stems from a desire to deepen personal knowledge and assist others in their financial journeys, promoting a collaborative learning environment [1].

Visa Inc. (V) recently announced that Tap to Phone witnessed 200% growth in the past year. The United States, UK and Brazil witnessed a combined adoption rate of 234%. In a world where convenience and efficiency are paramount, Visa’s Tap to Phone technology is revolutionizing digital payments. This technology is enabling millions of businesses, from major retailers to small market vendors, to accept payments seamlessly using just their smartphones.Tap to Phone eliminates the need for traditional POS hardwar ...

The world is moving toward a cashless future, and Apple Inc. (AAPL) is at the forefront of this transformation. With Apple Pay and Apple Card becoming integral parts of its ecosystem, digital transactions are accelerating at an unprecedented pace. This presents a golden opportunity for investors to capitalize on the growth of digital payments.Two companies that stand to benefit immensely from Apple’s digital push are Visa Inc. (V) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) . As Apple fuels the adoption of mobile wall ...

Core Insights - Fintech Cadence and Visa have announced a collaboration aimed at fostering fintech innovation in Canada, particularly in the payment and remittance sectors [1][2][3] - The partnership will include curated programming, events, and educational initiatives to support the development of Canadian fintech companies [1][4] Company Overview - Fintech Cadence is Canada's largest fintech incubator, established in 2017, focusing on raising awareness, supporting early-stage startups, and connecting fintechs with the financial industry [3][5] - Visa collaborates with over 2,000 fintechs globally to address challenges in payments and provide expertise in digital commerce [2] Event Details - Visa will be a Champion Sponsor of the 2025 Fintech Drinks Series, with the first event scheduled for March 26, 2025, in Montreal, followed by events in Halifax, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal later in the year [4]

Group 1: Market Overview - The stock market is currently experiencing volatility, with major equities facing notable sell-offs, presenting potential buying opportunities but not all stocks are ideal for investment due to valuation concerns [1] Group 2: VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN) - VeriSign is showing signs of overvaluation, trading at $237.88 with a P/E ratio of 29.73, which is high given its modest EPS growth of +1.12% [2][3] - The company's revenue growth over the past three years has been modest at 5.7% CAGR, and billings have only increased by 4.5% year-over-year on average over the last four quarters, indicating struggles with customer acquisition and retention [3] - VeriSign reported $1.56 billion in revenue for 2024, a 4.3% increase from 2023, with operating income rising to $1.06 billion [4] - The company experienced a 2.1% year-over-year decline in .com/.net registrations in the last quarter of 2024, which could signal headwinds for future growth [4] - Despite these fundamentals, high-profile investors like Warren Buffett have shown interest in VeriSign, with the stock up over 15% year-to-date [5] Group 3: Visa (NYSE: V) - Visa is also considered overvalued, with a P/E ratio of 37.05, despite reporting positive EPS growth of 14.45% [7] - The company faces challenges such as rising operating expenses, which increased by 11.7% in 2023 and 10.8% in 2024, and client incentives that reduced revenue by 19.4% and 11.9% year-over-year [8] - Visa is dealing with legal challenges, including a U.S. antitrust lawsuit and potential fee caps in the U.K., which could disrupt its market position [9] - Some analysts maintain an optimistic outlook for Visa, with TD Cowen raising the price target to $382 and BMO Capital Markets reaffirming an 'Outperform' rating with a $370 target [10] - As of the latest trading session, Visa was valued at $362.71, reflecting a 15% year-to-date growth [11]

Core Points - The "gold card" visa proposal by President Trump aims to attract foreign investors to the U.S. by allowing them to buy citizenship for $5 million, potentially replacing the existing EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program [2][3] - Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized that applicants for the "gold card" will be thoroughly vetted and are expected to contribute to the U.S. economy by creating jobs and paying taxes [1][4] - There are currently about 250,000 individuals waiting for the "gold card" visa, which could generate $1.25 trillion if all are sold, and if a million are sold, it could amount to $5 trillion, significantly impacting U.S. debt and interest rates [4] Summary by Sections Visa Proposal - President Trump proposed a "gold card" visa that would allow foreign investors to gain U.S. citizenship for a $5 million investment, which is a shift from the EB-5 program [2][3] Economic Impact - The introduction of the "gold card" visa is expected to bring in substantial revenue, with Lutnick suggesting that selling a million cards could generate $5 trillion, which could help pay off national debt and lower interest rates [4] Vetting Process - Lutnick assured that the applicants for the "gold card" visa will be vetted, and they are expected to bring entrepreneurial skills and growth potential to the U.S. economy [1][4]

Core Insights - Visa's Value-Added Services (VAS) generated nearly $9 billion in revenue for 2024 and has a potential annual revenue opportunity of $520 billion [1][2] - VAS has been growing consistently at over 20% annually since 2021 and accounted for 24% of Visa's net revenue in 2024 [6] VAS Components - The components of VAS include risk and security solutions, advisory services, issuing solutions, and acceptance solutions [1] - The unbundling of services through Visa-as-a-Service allows Visa to deliver tailored solutions to clients globally [3][4] Growth and Market Potential - VAS is expected to continue its growth trajectory, with Visa CEO highlighting the attractive margins and global nature of the business [3] - The annualized growth rate of VAS has been 20% since 2021, indicating strong market demand and operational efficiency [6] Strategic Enhancements - The offering aims to enhance Visa payments by improving accessibility, attractiveness, and security, while also optimizing clients' payment businesses [5] - Visa's strategy includes leveraging relationships and data to unlock opportunities beyond traditional payment networks [3]

Core Viewpoint - Visa has shown strong performance recently, with a +9.8% return over the past month, outperforming the S&P 500's +2.6% and the Financial Transaction Services industry’s +9.2% [1] Earnings Estimates Revisions - Visa is expected to report earnings of $2.68 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +6.8% [4] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is $11.30, indicating a +12.4% change from the previous year [4] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate is $12.73, suggesting a +12.6% increase from the prior year [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate has seen a slight increase of +0.1% over the last 30 days for the current quarter and +1% for the current fiscal year [4][5] Revenue Growth Forecast - The consensus sales estimate for Visa is $9.57 billion for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year growth of +9% [8] - For the current fiscal year, the revenue estimate is $39.59 billion, indicating a +10.2% change, while the next fiscal year's estimate is $43.66 billion, reflecting a +10.3% increase [8] Last Reported Results and Surprise History - In the last reported quarter, Visa generated revenues of $9.51 billion, a +10.2% increase year-over-year, and an EPS of $2.75 compared to $2.41 a year ago [9] - The reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.34 billion by +1.82%, and the EPS surprised by +3.38% [10] - Visa has consistently beaten consensus EPS estimates in the last four quarters and topped revenue estimates three times during this period [10] Valuation - Visa is graded D on the Zacks Value Style Score, indicating it is trading at a premium compared to its peers [14] - The assessment of valuation multiples such as P/E, P/S, and P/CF is crucial for determining whether Visa's stock is overvalued, fairly valued, or undervalued [12][13] Conclusion - The Zacks Rank 2 suggests that Visa may outperform the broader market in the near term, despite its premium valuation [15]

Group 1 - Yiannis Zourmpanos is the founder of Yiazou IQ, an AI-driven stock research platform that provides comprehensive stock reports [1] - The investment style of the company focuses on GARP (Growth at a Reasonable Price) and value stocks, emphasizing high-quality businesses that are reasonably priced with strong competitive advantages and significant growth potential [1] - The company prioritizes fundamental analysis and seeks stocks that are trading at a discount to their intrinsic value, ensuring a clear margin of safety [1] - The long-term investment approach spans 5-7 years, aiming for wealth accumulation through compounding while emphasizing downside protection and occasionally adopting contrarian views during market uncertainties [1]

Group 1: Macroeconomic Indicators - January CPI increased by 3.0% year-on-year, exceeding expectations of 2.9% and the previous value of 2.9%, marking the highest level in seven months [7] - Core CPI rose by 3.3% year-on-year, higher than the expected 3.1% and previous 3.2% [7] - January PPI year-on-year was 3.5%, matching the previous value and exceeding the expected 3.2% [7] Group 2: Market Performance - S&P 500 index rose by 1.5% last week, while the Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index surged by 7.3%, marking the highest increase globally [20] - Among the 36 secondary sectors in the U.S. stock market, 27 sectors saw gains, with the top five performing sectors being Electrical Equipment, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Durable Goods, Pharmaceuticals, and Household Products [23] Group 3: Company Performance - 76% of S&P 500 companies reported actual EPS above expectations, slightly below the 5-year average of 77% but above the 10-year average of 75% [5] - Notable companies with significant stock price increases include AMD, Intel, and Airbnb, contributing to the overall positive performance of the S&P 500 [26]