Core Insights - Visa held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders virtually, where shareholders voted on eight proposals, including director elections and executive compensation [3] - The company reported strong fiscal 2025 results with $40 billion in net revenue, an 11% increase year-over-year, and returned $22.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [5][13] Shareholder Proposals - Shareholders approved the election of all 11 directors, the advisory vote on executive compensation, auditor ratification, and amendments to the certificate of incorporation, while rejecting all four shareholder-sponsored proposals [6][11] - The rejected proposals included requests for an independent chair policy, action by written consent, an online sexual exploitation report, and an inclusion program ROI report [6][11] Financial Performance - Visa's GAAP EPS was $10.20 (up 5%) and non-GAAP EPS was $11.47 (up 14%) for fiscal 2025 [5][13] - The company processed $16.7 trillion in total volume, an increase of 7% on a constant-dollar basis, and 329 billion total transactions, up 8% [14] Strategic Highlights - Management emphasized progress in digital payments, including over 16 billion Visa tokens and more than 50% tokenization of e-commerce transactions [4][15] - Visa aims to build an interoperable layer between stablecoins and traditional fiat payments, viewing stablecoins and central bank digital currencies as significant opportunities [18] Capital Allocation - The company outlined four capital allocation priorities: investing in the business, returning 20-25% of EPS via dividends, returning excess capital through buybacks, and maintaining a target gross debt-to-EBITDA ratio below 1.5x [19]

Group 1 - Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on PayPal with a Neutral rating and a stock price of $56.60 [1][6] - PayPal's stock has experienced a significant shift in investor sentiment, rising from a score of 12 (very bearish) to 72 (bullish) [2][6] - The company has a strong history of exceeding earnings estimates, having done so for seven consecutive quarters, with a 14% beat in Q3 [3][6] Group 2 - PayPal's stock is currently trading at $56.60, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.035% [5] - The stock has fluctuated between $56.49 and $57.12 on the day, with a market capitalization of approximately $52.96 billion [5] - A Reddit post contributed to the positive sentiment shift, generating significant engagement and a bullish case for PayPal [4]

Core Insights - A significant majority of Americans prefer to retain the option of cash payments despite the rise of digital payments, with 84% opposing a cashless society [2][5] - The survey indicates that cash remains an important part of daily transactions, with 85% of respondents having used cash in the past month [2] Payment Preferences - Debit cards are the most preferred payment method for 35% of Americans, followed by cash and credit cards at 24% each, indicating a strong desire for cash as a payment option [4] - Privacy concerns are a major factor, with over 90% of respondents believing cash offers better privacy than cards or digital currencies [4] Budgeting and Spending - 70% of respondents find it easier to stay on budget when using cash, while 75% believe tracking spending is simpler with cards or apps [4] Policy Support - There is strong support for legislative measures, with 85% of respondents favoring laws that require most brick-and-mortar businesses to accept cash [5] Financial Inclusion - The cash debate has implications for access and inclusion, as approximately 4.2% of U.S. households are unbanked and 14.2% are underbanked, making cash essential for these groups [5]

Group 1 - Visa Inc. has enabled Apple Pay support for Chinese Visa cardholders, allowing eligible customers to add their Visa cards to Apple Pay for various payment methods [1][2] - The banks participating in this initiative include major institutions such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, and Agricultural Bank of China, with plans to expand the network further [2] - Visa is increasing investments in data and payment security, launching tokenization services, and focusing on cross-border payment scenarios to enhance its digital payment strategy in China [3][4] Group 2 - Visa operates VisaNet, a transaction-processing network that facilitates the authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions globally [4]

Core Insights - The payments industry is increasingly transitioning to digital, cross-border, and real-time transactions, with Visa Inc. and Mastercard Incorporated leading in global financial transaction services [1] - Both companies are expanding their value-added services, but their growth trajectories differ due to variations in scale and regional revenue mix [2] Visa - Visa has a market cap of $593.6 billion, benefiting from extensive penetration in consumer, commercial, and cross-border transactions, which supports resilient revenue growth [3] - In the fiscal fourth quarter, Visa's payment volume grew by 9% year over year, with processed transactions increasing to 67.7 billion, a 10% rise, and cross-border volume growing by 12% [4] - Value-added services now contribute nearly 30% of Visa's revenues, growing in the mid-20s, with investments in AI-driven fraud prevention and blockchain technologies [5] - Visa maintains a strong cash position of $17.2 billion, allowing for significant share buybacks and dividends, returning $6.1 billion to shareholders in the fiscal fourth quarter [6] - Adjusted operating expenses rose by 13.1% year over year in the fourth quarter, and regulatory risks are present in the U.S. and Europe [7] Mastercard - Mastercard has a market cap of $477.5 billion and operates a secure global payments network, with net revenues increasing by 17% year over year in the third quarter of 2025 [10][11] - The company reported a 25% year-over-year growth in value-added services, driven by strategic acquisitions and strong performance in security and digital authentication [11] - Mastercard is investing in tokenization, cybersecurity, and AI-powered solutions, while balancing innovation with shareholder returns [12][13] - Adjusted operating expenses increased by 15% year over year in the third quarter, with an expected rise of 15.8% in 2025 [14] - The consensus estimate for Mastercard's 2025 EPS indicates a 12.5% year-over-year growth, with no recent earnings estimate revisions [16] Valuation and Performance - Visa's forward P/E ratio is 24.44X, compared to Mastercard's 27.68X, making Visa's valuation more attractive [17] - Over the past three months, Visa has experienced less value loss than Mastercard and the broader industry [18] - Both companies are ranked 3 (Hold) by Zacks, but Visa's larger scale, higher margins, and more attractive valuation suggest greater growth potential [21]

Core Insights - Public sector banks (PSBs) are increasingly entering the QR-code led merchant payments space, aiming to compete with fintech companies like BharatPe, PhonePe, and Paytm [15] - This shift in strategy is driven by the revenue opportunities in the small merchant ecosystem and the dominance of UPI payments [2][15] - Banks are focusing on building direct relationships with merchants and enhancing their payment platforms with features like instant onboarding and on-demand settlement [10][15] Industry Trends - The Reserve Bank of India reports approximately 728 million QR codes deployed in the country, compared to only 11 million POS terminals, indicating a significant market potential [7] - Industry estimates suggest there are around 30 million soundbox terminals in India, further highlighting the growth opportunities in the small merchant payment sector [7] - Paytm has disclosed quarterly disbursals of around ₹4,500 crore for merchants, with a significant portion of transactions driven by UPI QR code-based payments [8][9] Competitive Landscape - Players like Worldline are collaborating with banks to provide technology stacks and backend settlements, enabling a comprehensive payment service for small merchants [5][15] - Banks are motivated by the low cost of deploying payment solutions and the potential for data and lending opportunities in this market [6][15] - The entry of banks into the small merchant payment business may lead to competition with fintechs, although industry insiders believe this conflict may not be immediate [12][15]

London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - January 19, 2026) - FiNext Conference has officially announced Alona Shevtsova as one of the featured speakers at FiNext Conference Dubai 2026, one of the leading international events dedicated to financial innovation, fintech, and the future of the global financial industry.Alona ShevtsovaTo view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10281/280844_25048d9544bf9aad_001full.jpgThe conference, which will take place on ...

In addition to handling payments, it delivers fraud protection, data analytics, and modern digital solutions that help make buying and selling easier and more accessible for everyone. With a towering market capitalization of about $484.86 billion, payment powerhouse Mastercard delivered a decent performance in 2025, with its shares climbing roughly 8%, edging out rival Visa (V), which gained about 6.8% over the same period.Founded in 1966, New York-based Mastercard is a global payments technology company th ...

Core Insights - PayPal Holdings Inc. is a leading digital payments company that competes with platforms like Square and Stripe [1] - Daiwa has set a price target of $61 for PayPal, indicating a potential increase of 6.48% from its current trading price of $57.66 [1][5] Stock Performance - PayPal's stock is currently trading at approximately $57.66, which is nearly 37% lower than its 52-week high of $93.25 [2][5] - The stock has experienced a decrease of 0.64% or $0.37 in its current trading session, with a trading range between $56.76 and $57.76 [2] Market Capitalization and Liquidity - The market capitalization of PayPal is approximately $53.6 billion, reflecting the total market value of its outstanding shares [3][5] - The trading volume for the day is 19,006,353 shares, indicating significant investor interest and liquidity [3][5] Volatility - PayPal's 52-week range shows a high of $93.25 and a low of $55.85, highlighting the volatility experienced over the past year [4]

Core Insights - Visa Inc. continues to demonstrate consistency in delivering shareholder value, supported by resilient consumer spending and the growth of digital payments globally [1][2] - The company's asset-light business model allows it to monetize transaction volumes without taking on credit risk, enhancing its revenue mix and margins [2] Performance Overview - Over the past year, Visa's stock has increased by 14.4%, outperforming the broader industry and key competitor Mastercard, although it lagged behind American Express and the S&P 500 [3][6] - Visa's growth is driven by transaction growth, cross-border volumes, and expanding value-added services (VAS), with EPS expected to grow by 11.7% in FY26 and 13.2% in FY27 [7][9] Future Growth Potential - Analysts project continued steady growth, with revenue increases of 11.1% in FY26 and 10.4% in FY27, supported by ongoing payment volume growth and monetization opportunities [9] - Visa's VAS has grown from around 20% to nearly 30% of its revenues, indicating successful diversification beyond core processing [11] Technological and Regulatory Developments - Visa is positioned to benefit from regulatory changes that clarify stablecoin settlement rules, allowing it to operate across multiple stablecoins and blockchains [12] - The company is also exploring growth in agentic commerce, where AI-driven agents execute transactions, potentially expanding its network into machine-to-machine commerce [13] Valuation Insights - Visa trades at a forward P/E ratio of 26.95, higher than the industry average of 20.94, indicating a premium valuation [15] - The stock's current valuation is slightly above its five-year median, placing it in the middle compared to competitors like Mastercard and American Express [15]