Core Insights - Artificial intelligence is expected to significantly enhance online shopping experiences, potentially benefiting fintech stocks like Mastercard and Visa over competitors such as PayPal, Stripe, and Adyen [1][3][5] Group 1: Market Opportunities - The concept of "agentic commerce" is emerging, which relies on stable consumer spending, showing resilience despite job growth concerns and layoffs [2][3] - Analysts are favoring payment firms with diverse revenue streams and those that are less affected by consumer spending fluctuations [2] Group 2: AI Integration in Payments - AI agents are anticipated to play a crucial role in personalizing shopping experiences and facilitating transactions through integrated payment systems [4][5] - Mastercard and Visa are positioning their services as the default options in automated checkouts, which could lead to increased usage of their payment processors [5] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - PayPal is also involved in AI partnerships but faces challenges due to its exposure to retail and declining consumer discretionary spending in key markets [7][8] - Oppenheimer analysts maintain a neutral stance on PayPal until it can demonstrate accelerated profit growth and stabilization in consumer spending [8]

The jump was driven by a combination of short-term technical factors and longer-term strategic momentum that positions Walmart as a rare defensive retailer with genuine growth optionality. Walmart stock: Mechanical buying from Nasdaq inclusion lifts shares The stock gained roughly 3.6% in premarket trading and closed near session highs, extending its 2025 rally to nearly 26% and pushing the company's market value toward $940 billion. Copy link to section The most immediate catalyst came on Friday, when Nasd ...

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant International is collaborating with Google on the launch of its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard for agentic commerce. ...

Core Insights - Commerce endorses Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), aiming to enhance the shopping experience across AI ecosystems [1][5] - UCP establishes a common language for agents and systems, facilitating seamless interactions throughout the shopping journey [2][4] Group 1: UCP Overview - UCP is an open-source standard designed to streamline communication between various agents and systems, improving the shopping experience from discovery to post-purchase [2] - The protocol will enable new checkout features in AI Mode on Google Search and the Gemini app, allowing direct purchases from eligible retailers [3][8] Group 2: Industry Implications - The shift towards agent-driven commerce necessitates a unified set of standards to enhance scalability and efficiency in the industry [4] - Merchants must adapt to new consumer behaviors characterized by higher intent queries and the need for strategic visibility in answer engines [4] Group 3: Commerce's Role - Commerce leverages its Feedonomics-powered data enrichment layer to optimize product feeds, ensuring alignment with Google's schema and enhancing product visibility [5] - The endorsement of UCP builds on the existing partnership between Google and Commerce, positioning Commerce as a key player in the evolving landscape of AI-driven commerce [5]

Core Insights - Commerce endorses Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), aiming to create a common language for agents and systems throughout the shopping journey, enhancing interaction and reducing friction for merchants [1][2] Group 1: Industry Impact - The UCP will facilitate a new checkout feature in AI Mode on Google, allowing shoppers to purchase directly from eligible retailers while researching [3] - The shift in discovery from traditional search to conversational engines necessitates merchants to adapt their strategies to engage consumers effectively [4] Group 2: Collaboration and Technology - Commerce's partnership with Google leverages its Feedonomics-powered data enrichment layer to optimize product feeds, enhancing visibility and conversion rates within the Google ecosystem [5] - The UCP allows merchants to enable direct buying within Google's AI experiences, maintaining ownership of customer relationships and transaction data [7] Group 3: Future Outlook - The endorsement of UCP is seen as a foundational step for scaling agentic commerce, emphasizing the need for industry-wide standardization [4] - Commerce aims to empower businesses with an open, AI-driven ecosystem, enabling them to innovate and thrive in a rapidly changing market [6]

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of the best major stocks to invest in right now. Wolfe Research lowered the price target on Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) to $275 from $305 on January 5 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Is "An Overall Piece," Says Jim Cramer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) also received a rating update from Evercore ISI on January 4, with the firm assigning the stock a Buy rating with a price target of $335. The rating update was based on a “ ...

Core Insights - Shopify is experiencing accelerated growth, particularly in the context of agentic commerce, which utilizes AI agents to enhance the e-commerce experience for merchants and customers [1][2] - The company's revenue growth has shown a positive trend, with year-over-year increases of 27% in Q1, 31% in Q2, and 32% in Q3 of 2025 [2][3] - Shopify's gross merchandise volume (GMV) increased by 32% year-over-year in Q3, indicating strong performance on its platform [3] Financial Performance - Shopify's free cash flow represented 18% of its third-quarter revenue, showcasing its ability to generate substantial cash [3] - As of the end of Q3, Shopify held approximately $6 billion in cash and marketable securities, with no debt, reflecting a strong balance sheet [4] Valuation Concerns - The stock is currently trading at a high price-to-earnings ratio of 123 and a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 89, raising questions about its valuation [5] - There are concerns that the market may have already priced in the potential upside from new AI features and tools, leading to skepticism about future growth [8] AI Integration - Shopify is introducing new AI tools, such as the Sidekick AI, which aims to enhance merchant collaboration and predict needs, potentially transforming the business landscape [7] - The introduction of "Shopify Agentic Storefronts" is designed to integrate products into AI conversations, allowing for seamless customer interactions and purchases [7] Future Outlook - Management has indicated a potential deceleration in revenue growth for Q4, expecting a growth rate in the mid-to-high 20s year-over-year, which could impact investor sentiment [8] - While Shopify is recognized as a strong business, its current stock valuation may leave little room for error, leading to uncertainty about its attractiveness as an investment [9]

Key Takeaways Visa's 14.4% YTD rise driven by transaction growth, cross-border volumes and expanding VAS.EPS expected to grow 11.7% in FY26 and 13.2% in FY27, with revenues rising 11.1% and 10.4%.Stablecoin and agentic commerce initiatives position Visa for gradual long-term acceleration.Visa Inc. (V) , a global leader in payment processing, continues to deliver what long-term investors value most: consistency. Supported by resilient consumer spending, rising cross-border volumes and the steady expansion of ...

Continue Reading The following article is authored by Dee Waddell, Global Head of Consumer, Travel & Transportation Industries, IBM Consulting. ARMONK, N.Y., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Generative AI is reshaping the first steps of our shopping experience before we ever click "buy." From hyper-personalized suggestions to curated inspiration, influence now begins long before a store visit or app tap, moving where brands and retailers compete to an entirely new level. As AI transforms how consumers make choi ...

Commerce operating system Swap has announced a $100 million Series C round, co-led by internet investment firm DST Global and global investment firm Iconiq, which is doubling down on its initial investment.What started as a returns tool has quietly grown into something bigger. Swap moved into cross-border commerce last year, setting up AI-powered infrastructure that lets agents handle transactions, recommendations and payments across global merchants.Expanding its product suite from returns to cross-border ...