Buy Visa Stock on Impressive Q2 Earnings and Strong Business Visibility

Core Insights - Visa Inc. reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.98 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.86, and up from $2.42 per share a year ago [1] - Quarterly revenues reached $10.17 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.11% [1] - The company experienced an 8% increase in payments volume and a 10% growth in processed transactions [2] Business Performance - All business segments of Visa outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimates in the last reported quarter [2] - Total payment volumes were $3,618 billion, exceeding the consensus mark of $3,583.74 billion [2] - Total transactions amounted to 65.44 billion, compared to the consensus estimate of 64.47 billion [2] Strategic Initiatives - CEO Ryan McInerney emphasized the focus on innovation and product development in areas like AI and stablecoins to enhance long-term shareholder value [3] - Visa is modernizing cross-border money movement and expanding its stablecoin settlement capabilities to the Solana and Ethereum blockchains [4] - The company is collaborating with merchant acquirers like Worldpay and Nuvei to enhance digital payment capabilities [4] AI and Technology Investments - Visa's investments in AI and technology have significantly improved its growth prospects, with a focus on fraud prevention and cybersecurity [7][8] - The company has embedded AI into over 100 products, helping to prevent $40 billion in fraud attempts annually [8] - Visa has invested $3.5 billion in rebuilding its data platform to support these initiatives [8] Financial Outlook - For fiscal 2025, the Zacks Consensus Estimate projects revenues of $39.63 billion, a 10.3% year-over-year increase, and earnings per share of $11.37, indicating a 13.1% increase [11] - For fiscal 2026, revenues are estimated at $43.88 billion, reflecting a 10.7% year-over-year improvement, with earnings per share of $12.81, a 12.6% increase [12] - Visa's long-term EPS growth rate is projected at 13%, surpassing the S&P 500's rate of 12.6% [12] Stock Performance and Valuation - The short-term average price target for Visa shares suggests an 11.3% increase from the last closing price of $351.29, with a maximum upside of 21% and a downside of 13.2% [13] - Visa's stock has outperformed the S&P 500 year-to-date but has underperformed in the past three months [14] - The recent dip in stock price presents a potential investment opportunity, supported by Visa's AI initiatives and business diversification strategies [14]