Visa Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Core Insights - Visa Inc. is a payment technology company with a market cap of $623.7 billion, facilitating secure and fast transactions globally [1] Performance Overview - Over the past 52 weeks, Visa's stock has gained 16.6%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which increased by 18.5%. Year-to-date, Visa is up 7.7%, compared to the S&P 500's 15.1% rise [2] - Visa has outperformed the Amplify Digital Payments ETF, which experienced a marginal 52-week decline and an 8.2% year-to-date loss [3] Financial Results - Visa reported better-than-expected Q4 results, with net revenue increasing by 11.5% year-over-year to $10.7 billion, slightly surpassing consensus estimates. Adjusted EPS rose by 10% to $2.98, exceeding analyst expectations by a penny [4] - Total operating expenses surged by 40% year-over-year, outpacing revenue growth and leading to a decline in operating margins, causing investor concern [4] Future Earnings Expectations - For fiscal 2026, analysts project Visa's EPS to grow by 11.7% year-over-year to $12.81. The company has a strong earnings surprise history, surpassing consensus estimates in the last four quarters [5] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Among 37 analysts covering Visa, the consensus rating is a "Strong Buy," with 26 "Strong Buy," four "Moderate Buy," and seven "Hold" ratings [5] - Macquarie analyst Paul Golding maintained a "Buy" rating with a price target of $410, indicating a 20.5% potential upside. The mean price target is $402.58, representing an 18.3% premium, while the highest target of $450 suggests a 32.2% upside potential [6]