Core Insights - US core inflation unexpectedly eased to a four-year low, raising questions among economists about the reliability of the data due to a prior government shutdown [8][14] - ByteDance has signed an agreement to establish a joint venture in the US with majority ownership by American investors [8][14] Market Performance - The A-share market opened lower but closed higher, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 0.16% at 3876.37 points, while the Shenzhen Component fell 1.29% and the ChiNext Index dropped 2.17% [1] - The Hong Kong market also saw fluctuations, with the Hang Seng Index closing up 0.12% at 25498.13 points, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.73% [1][5] Economic Indicators - The US core Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.6% year-on-year in November, while the overall CPI increased by 2.7% [14] - The report indicated that core CPI only increased by 0.2% over the last two months, with declines in hotel, leisure, and clothing prices limiting the overall increase [14] Corporate Developments - TikTok announced the establishment of a joint venture with US investors, which will operate independently and manage US data protection and algorithm security [8][14] - China has reportedly ordered 7 million tons of US soybeans, achieving over half of the procurement target set during the Trump administration [8][14]

Visa now allows certain partner banks and fintechs to settle their obligations to Visa in USDC, rather than traditional bank transfers. Settling means “squaring the tab” at the end of the day between banks, card issuers, and Visa. Instead of waiting on slow, expensive bank wires, they can send USDC on-chain, and now they can do that on Solana, a fast, low-fee blockchain built for high transaction throughput.First, a quick definition. A stablecoin is a crypto token that tracks a real-world asset, usually the ...

Core Insights - Visa Inc. is enhancing its role in digital commerce by collaborating with Akamai to improve transaction security for AI-driven shopping agents, addressing the growing need for trust in autonomous transactions [2][4] - The integration of Visa's Agent Protocol with Akamai's behavioral intelligence allows merchants to authenticate AI agents and validate consumer intent, which is essential as automated shopping experiences evolve [3][9] - This initiative not only focuses on secure payments but also aims to reshape accountability and verification in AI-led commerce, potentially influencing competitive dynamics in the industry [5] Competitive Landscape - Competitors such as Mastercard and Affirm are also advancing their AI commerce strategies, with Mastercard's Agent Pay focusing on secure interactions between AI agents and merchants [6] - Affirm is collaborating with Google to support AI-driven payment solutions, enhancing the integration of buy now, pay later services with AI agents [7] Financial Performance - Visa's stock has increased by 11.2% over the past year, outperforming the industry, which has seen a decline of 7.3% [8] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Visa is 26.14, higher than the industry average of 20.79, indicating a premium valuation [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests an 11.7% increase compared to the previous year, with earnings per share estimates showing significant year-over-year growth [13][14]

Skyfire's KYAPay protocol verifies to both the consumer and the merchant that the AI agent is acting on behalf of a real, authorized user, enabling merchants to confidently accept actions initiated by non-human actors. Share SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skyfire today announced a fully functional prototype of an AI agent securely completing consumer purchases end-to-end, enabled by verified agent identity and agentic payment infrastructure in a controlled environment. The demo illustrates an AI agent auto ...

Visa said on Thursday that it successfully completed hundreds of AI transactions as part of a pilot program that kicked off after the company's product event in April.The credit card issuer and rivals across the fintech industry are racing to build tools that allow consumers to task artificial intelligence agents with completing certain transactions."This is going to be the year we see an enormous amount of material adoption, and consumers really starting to get comfortable in a bunch of different agentic e ...

Core Insights - Visa estimates that approximately $11 trillion in cash remains in circulation globally, indicating the persistent role of physical money in daily commerce and the potential for digital payment growth [1][2][3] Digital Payment Trends - The transition towards digital payments is evident, with predictions that by 2026, half of the world's total consumer payments will be made using card credentials [3] - Mobile wallets are becoming increasingly popular, accounting for 35% of online transactions and 21% of in-store transactions across 11 major economies [6] - Faster payment systems in emerging markets, such as Brazil's Pix and India's Unified Payments Interface, are effectively reducing reliance on cash by providing immediate and low-cost alternatives [8][9] Consumer Behavior - Consumers are moving away from cash primarily for convenience, as mobile wallets facilitate quicker transactions through tap-to-pay or scan-based methods [10] - Security concerns regarding digital payments are being addressed through advancements like tokenization and biometric authentication, shifting the perception of safety from cash to digital transactions [11] Demographic Variations - The decline in cash usage is uneven across different regions and demographics, with tech-savvy consumers leading the shift away from physical money [12][13] - Consumers deeply embedded in connected technology ecosystems are 34% less likely to use cash compared to three years ago, while those with fewer connected devices continue to rely on cash more frequently [13][14] Future Outlook - The substantial amount of cash still in circulation highlights the ongoing relevance of physical money, yet the trend towards digital payments is clear, driven by consumer demand for speed, convenience, and security [15]

Bitcoin remains volatile after hitting record highs earlier in 2025. Will crypto markets shift towards tokenization and stable coin adoption. Hi everyone, I'm Jenny Horn and this is Crypto Corner here on Schwab Network.With Bitcoin rangebound in the high 80s and low 90s this week, we are going to focus on some of the stories that could impact the crypto industry moving forward. Joining us now to discuss some of the recent volatility is Adam Lynch, director at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. Adam, ...

Core Viewpoint - Visa (V) stock is considered a strong buying opportunity due to high margins and cash generation ability at a discounted price, indicating consistent and predictable profits which lower risk and allow for capital reinvestment [1] Company Performance - Visa's stock has increased by 10% year-to-date but is 35% cheaper based on its Price-to-Sales (P/S) ratio compared to one year ago [3] - Visa's Q4 2025 results showed steady global transaction growth, with cross-border volumes up 12% and processed transactions increasing by 10% [4] - A 25% increase in value-added services supports Visa's fee-based revenue model, and partnerships like Orange Money and USDC stablecoin settlement are expanding its network [5] - Management anticipates continued low double-digit revenue growth for fiscal year 2026 [5] Financial Fundamentals - Visa has strong fundamentals, with an operating cash flow margin of nearly 57.6% and an operating margin of 66.4% for the last twelve months [11] - Long-term profitability averages show approximately 58.9% operating cash flow margin and 66.8% operating margin over the last three years [11] - Revenue growth for Visa was 11.3% for the last twelve months and 10.9% over the last three years, although it is not classified as a growth story [11] - The stock is currently available at a P/S multiple of 11.0, representing a 35% discount compared to one year ago [11] Investment Criteria - Visa meets several investment criteria, including a market cap exceeding $10 billion, high cash flow from operations margins, and a significant decline in valuation over the past year [12] - The average 12-month forward returns for stocks meeting these criteria are nearly 19%, with a win rate of about 72% [12]

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) announced the launch of USDC settlement in the United States, marking a key milestone in the company’s stablecoin settlement pilot program and strategy to “modernize its settlement layer underpinning commerce.” Now, U.S. issuer and acquirer partners can settle with Visa in Circle’s USDC, “a fully reserved, dollar-denominated stablecoin.”With USDC settlement, issuers can benefit “from faster funds movement over blockchains, seven‑day availability and enhanced operational resilience across ...

Key Takeaways Visa enables U.S. issuers and acquirers to settle VisaNet obligations using USDC alongside fiat.V allows 24/7 USDC settlement, with Cross River and Lead Bank live on Solana transactions.V's stablecoin volumes reached a $3.5B annualized rate, and Arc will support future USDC settlement.Visa Inc. (V) is making a significant move to modernize payment systems by introducing USDC-based settlements for U.S. institutions. This initiative enables select issuer and acquirer partners to settle their Vis ...