Warren Buffett is considered one of the greatest investors of all time. So when he talks, Wall Street listens.One point he has consistently hammered home throughout his illustrious career is the importance of buying shares of companies, intending to hold on to them for a long time, preferably forever. Buffett has generally followed his own advice. His portfolio features some excellent buy-and-hold options.One of the best is Visa (V 0.45%). The financial services giant ticks many of the boxes Warren Buffett ...

Visa says European regulators are investigating the fees it charges retailers.The company revealed the European Commission’s (EC) preliminary probe in its annual report Wednesday (Nov. 13).“On August 30, 2024, the EC informed Visa that it has opened a preliminary investigation into Visa’s fees charged to acquirers,” the report said. “Visa is cooperating with the EC in connection with the investigation.”Visa also said that the EC notified it in October that it had concluded a nearly two-year old investigatio ...

This payments giant has been a great investment historically.Visa (V -0.12%) dominates the credit and debit card payments landscape as it handled more purchase transactions than anyone else in 2023. Chances are you have a Visa-branded card in your wallet right now. Such a strong industry position has resulted in a share price that has soared 1,430% in the past 15 years.This outstanding business should certainly be on the radar of every long-term investor. Before you buy, however, here are three things you n ...

Transaction Volume and Payment Processing - Visa processed 303 billion payments and cash transactions with its brand in fiscal 2024, with 234 billion processed directly by Visa[13] - Visa's total payments and cash volume reached $16 trillion in fiscal 2024, with 4.6 billion payment credentials available at over 150 million merchant locations worldwide[13] - Visa's network of networks strategy facilitated 829 million transactions per day on average in fiscal 2024[13] - Visa processed over 2.0 billion contactless transactions on global transit systems in fiscal 2024, surpassing 2023 numbers[26] - Visa processed 303 billion payments and cash transactions in fiscal 2024, with 234 billion processed directly by Visa[13] - Total payments and cash volume reached $16 trillion in fiscal 2024[13] - Visa had 4.6 billion payment credentials available at over 150 million merchant locations worldwide in fiscal 2024[13] - Visa's network of networks strategy facilitates P2P, B2C, B2B, G2C, and C2B payments[13] - Visa partners with nearly 14,500 financial institutions to offer payment solutions[13] - Visa's payments volume in 2023 was $12.62 trillion, with total volume of $15.114 trillion and 284 billion transactions[80] Core Products and Technologies - Visa's core products include credit, debit, and prepaid cards, with credit cards allowing access to credit for goods and services, debit cards enabling cashless transactions, and prepaid cards addressing various use cases including financial inclusion[21][22][24] - Visa's Tap to Pay technology has become a preferred payment method in face-to-face environments globally, with growing adoption among consumers[25] - Tap to Pay penetration exceeds 90% of Visa face-to-face transactions in nearly 60 countries and territories, and over 50% in more than 125 countries and territories[26] - Visa has issued more than 535 million Tap to Pay-enabled Visa cards in the U.S., with over 50% contactless penetration[26] - Visa Token Service (VTS) has provisioned 11.5 billion network tokens as of September 30, 2024[27] - Visa Direct processed nearly 10 billion transactions for more than 550 partners in fiscal 2024, with a potential reach of over 11 billion endpoints[36] - Visa Direct Platform facilitates money movement across more than 195 countries and territories, utilizing over 75 domestic payment schemes and 15 real-time payment schemes[35] - Visa's innovative technologies support global money movement for consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities[15] Revenue Streams and Business Strategy - Visa's revenue streams include service revenue, data processing revenue, international transaction revenue, and client incentives, with detailed disclosures in Item 7 and Note 1 of the financial statements[17] - Visa's strategy focuses on accelerating revenue growth in consumer payments, new flows, and value-added services, while fortifying its business model foundations[20] - Visa aims to capture a $20 trillion opportunity globally by converting cash, checks, and other forms of payment into digital accounts on its network[20] - Visa's new flows business targets a total addressable opportunity of approximately $200 trillion annually, excluding Russia and China[29] - Visa Commercial Solutions focuses on addressing $145 trillion in B2B payment flows annually, with $20 trillion addressable by card and virtual products[30] - Visa's revenue model involves collecting interchange reimbursement fees and merchant discount rates (MDR) during payment transactions[14] - VisaNet processes transactions by verifying account balances or credit lines with issuers[14] - Visa's core business includes consumer, acquirer, merchant, and issuer interactions[14] Workforce and Employee Engagement - Visa's total workforce increased by 10% year over year, from approximately 28,800 in fiscal 2023 to approximately 31,600 in fiscal 2024[61] - Voluntary workforce turnover was 5% as of September 30, 2024[61] - 57% of Visa employees are located outside the U.S., with 58% men and 42% women globally[61] - Visa's global workforce includes 38% women in leadership roles (vice president level and above)[61] - Visa's UPLIFT program saw active users increase to 78% of all users, with recognitions sent nearly doubling from approximately 130,000 to nearly 248,000 in fiscal 2024[67] - 91% of employees would recommend Visa as a great place to work, based on the latest employee engagement survey[65] - 97% of employees visited the Viva Engage platform at least once, with 82% accessing it at least twice a week on average[66] Regulatory Environment and Compliance - Governments in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam impose regulations favoring domestic payment systems, including local ownership requirements and data localization[90] - The U.S. Dodd-Frank Act limits debit interchange reimbursement rates to 21 cents plus 5 basis points per transaction, with a possible 1-cent fraud adjustment[111] - The EU's IFR caps consumer credit interchange fees at 30 basis points and consumer debit fees at 20 basis points within the EEA[113] - The UK's Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is reviewing post-Brexit increases in interchange rates for UK-Europe transactions[115] - Costa Rica became the first country to regulate cross-border interchange rates in 2020[115] - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) monitors issues related to merchant choice routing and competition in digital wallet payments[114] - The Greek Parliament limited acquirer fees for small ticket transactions in certain merchant categories for three years starting in 2024[116] - The U.S. Federal Reserve proposed lowering debit interchange rates with automatic adjustments every two years in October 2023[113] - The EU's requirement to separate scheme and processing activities adds costs and impacts commercial strategies[119] - The UK's PSR is conducting a market review into scheme and processing fees, potentially imposing additional complexity on the company's UK operations[116] - VisaNet designated as a prominent payment system in Canada in October 2023, leading to increased oversight of authorization, clearing, and settlement activities[120] - Expansion of regulatory influence due to new payment technologies like tokenization, push payments, and Visa B2B Connect, requiring new licenses and compliance obligations[121] - Settlement with the European Commission on cross-border interchange rates drawing attention from regulators globally, potentially influencing similar regulations in other jurisdictions[122] - Potential reduction in Visa's net revenue due to issuers and acquirers charging higher fees or reducing consumer benefits in response to interchange rate regulations[123] - Regulatory reforms in the U.S. and Europe targeting large tech companies could impact Visa's ability to manage its business and offer products[124] - Challenges in China due to UnionPay's dominance and uncertainty around Visa's Bank Card Clearing Institution (BCCI) license application filed in May 2020[127] - Regulatory initiatives in India, including data localization mandates, increasing costs and potentially limiting Visa's ability to compete with domestic providers[129] - Development of national RTP networks and instant payment solutions in countries like Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and the U.S., potentially disrupting Visa's domestic and cross-border payments[130][131] - Compliance with evolving global privacy, data protection, and AI regulations, such as China's Personal Information Protection Law and the EU AI Act, increasing operational complexity and costs[134][135] - Potential financial impact from tax examinations, disputes, and changes in tax laws, including the introduction of a global minimum tax by 2025[138][139] Competition and Market Risks - The company faces intense competition from various payment methods including cash, checks, electronic payments, virtual currency payments, and digital wallets[142] - Competitors may develop better technology, offer more effective marketing strategies, or provide more favorable pricing arrangements, potentially harming the company's financial results[144] - Government actions and regulations, such as the Dodd-Frank Act and PSD2, may create new competitors and reduce the company's competitive advantages[145] - The company risks disintermediation due to emerging technologies, mobile payments, and bilateral agreements between entities that bypass its payment network[145] - Many countries are developing domestic RTP systems, which could prohibit international payment networks like the company from participating, potentially disintermediating its business in those regions[146] - The company's net revenue and profits are highly dependent on its client and merchant base, with significant concentration among its largest clients[153] - Competitive pressures may force the company to adjust pricing, offer incentives, or provide fee discounts, which could moderate its growth and impact profitability[154] - Merchants and processors are pushing to lower acceptance costs, which could lead to decreased issuance of the company's products and reduced consumer usage[157] - The company's success depends on maintaining and enhancing its brand, which could be negatively impacted by service disruptions, data breaches, or controversial transactions[161] - The company's brand reputation may be harmed by compliance failures, negative perceptions of the industry, or fraudulent activities using its payment products[162] International Operations and Geopolitical Risks - More than half of the company's net revenue is earned outside the U.S., with international cross-border transaction revenue being a significant part of its growth strategy[163] - The company suspended operations in Russia in March 2022, resulting in no revenue from domestic and cross-border activities related to Russia[165] - The company faces risks from geopolitical trends, including nationalism, protectionism, and restrictive visa requirements, which limit business expansion in certain regions[165] - The company's net revenue is highly dependent on consumer, government, and business spending patterns, which can be negatively impacted by adverse macroeconomic conditions[163] - Visa operates in 80 countries and territories worldwide[14] - Visa facilitates money movement across more than 200 countries and territories[15] Cybersecurity and Technology Risks - The company is investing in new technologies, including generative AI, to innovate and improve services, but rapid adoption may introduce unique security risks[175] - The company faces cybersecurity risks, including advanced cyber attacks, data breaches, and supply chain disruptions, which could harm its operations and reputation[177][178] - The company is subject to evolving cybersecurity regulations and reporting requirements across multiple jurisdictions, with potential penalties for non-compliance[181] - Visa has invested more than $3 billion in AI and data infrastructure over the last 10 years to support its network of networks strategy[57] - Visa's Risk and Identity Solutions include AI-powered tools like Visa Deep Authorization and Visa Protect for A2A Payments, designed to reduce fraud across various payment types[50] Acquisitions and Strategic Investments - Visa signed over 650 commercial partnerships with fintechs globally in fiscal 2024, a 30% increase year over year[69] - Visa completed the acquisition of Pismo and entered into agreements to acquire a majority interest in Prosa and Featurespace in fiscal 2024[74] - Visa's acquisitions and joint ventures face risks related to integration, litigation, and regulatory compliance[184] - The company's acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investments may not achieve anticipated benefits and could involve significant risks and uncertainties[183] Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability - The company's corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS) initiatives may require considerable investments, and failure to meet evolving stakeholder expectations could negatively impact its business[169][170] Stock and Ownership Structure - Visa's class B-1, B-2, and C common stock will become convertible into class A common stock under the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan[189] - Series B and C preferred stock will become fully convertible to series A preferred stock or class A common stock by 2028[189] - Conversion of class B-1, B-2, and C common stock into class A common stock could dilute voting power of existing class A stockholders[189] Workforce Challenges - Visa faces challenges in attracting and retaining highly skilled workers in fintech, technology, and cybersecurity[186] Settlement and Liquidity Risks - The company is exposed to settlement risks due to indemnification obligations for clients, which could lead to significant losses and liquidity issues[172]

Welcome to Cash Flow Venue, where dividends do the heavy lifting! Blending my financial chops with the timeless wisdom of value investing (and love for steady income), I’ve built a rock-solid pillar in my financial foundation through dividend investing. I believe it’s one of the most accessible paths to achieving financial freedom, and I’m excited to share my insights with you. I’m a finance professional with deep experience in M&A and business valuation. What does that mean in practice? I’ve evaluated coun ...

I have been a long-term shareholder of Visa (NYSE: NYSE: V , NEOE: VISA: CA ) and I am starting to cover the stock on Seeking Alpha with a Hold rating. Quantitative analysis has shown that the company has significant competitiveI am a qualified economist specializing in economic theory and I have been investing and trading since 2005. Since 2018, I have been investing in US equities. Until 2022, I was part of TopStepTrader, having passed the combine for a funded trader. I am a conservative investor, and for ...

Warren Buffett owns a number of dividend stocks, but I see one in particular as a great choice for long-term investors right now.A common misconception among beginner investors is that choosing growth stocks is required to generate lucrative portfolio gains. Many times, the best-performing stocks are actually blue chip businesses that grow sales and profits steadily and consistently over a long period of time. In turn, these companies may reward shareholders in the form of a dividend.Warren Buffett has perf ...

NEW YORK, Nov. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) for potential violations of the federal securities laws. If you invested in Visa, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://rosenlegal.com/case/visa-inc/. Why did Visa’s Stock Drop? On September 24, 2024, during market hours, the United States Department of Justice issued a release entitled “Justice Department Sues Visa for Monopolizing Deb ...

Payments technology juggernaut Visa Inc. (V) reported strong fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Oct. 29, 2024. It showcased increased payments volume, processed transactions and cross-border volumes, benefiting from expanding global operations and solid demand for digital payments. Since then, the stock has jumped 8.5%, reflecting investor optimism.With this increase, the stock is now pretty close to its 52-week high of $309.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.Is this ...

The recommendations of Wall Street analysts are often relied on by investors when deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock. Media reports about these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts changing their ratings often affect a stock's price. Do they really matter, though?Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Visa (V) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.Visa currently has an average brokerage ...