Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is one of the best forever stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On December 16, the company unveiled the USDC settlement in the United States. It marks an essential milestone in the company’s bid to enhance stablecoin settlement across its network as it continues to modernize the settlement layer that underpins global commerce. Visa Inc. (V) Unveils USDC Stablecoin Settlement in the US The USDC settlement support will allow issuer and acquirer partners in the US to settle with Visa ...

Core Insights - Fiserv, Inc. has announced a strategic collaboration with Visa to enable Visa Intelligent Commerce and deploy Trusted Agent Protocol across Fiserv's agentic ecosystem, enhancing merchants' ability to engage in automated commerce [1][3] Group 1: Collaboration and Technology - The partnership aims to simplify entry into the Agentic Commerce ecosystem, providing tools for Clover and Fiserv merchants, as well as ISV and ISO partners, to foster trust and safety in transactions [2] - The Trusted Agent Protocol will be deployed to authenticate and process agentic transactions, ensuring secure interactions and protecting payment information during checkout [3][5] Group 2: Enabling Intelligent Commerce - Fiserv and Visa are focused on enabling the full potential of intelligent commerce by providing foundational capabilities for agent-driven experiences, allowing seamless integration into existing workflows [4] - Fiserv's role extends beyond payments to include secure connectivity, scalable integration options, and operational intelligence for automating dispute resolution and optimizing routing in real time [5] Group 3: Commitment to Innovation - Both companies are committed to innovation and merchant success, inviting merchants and partners to explore integration and onboarding opportunities [6]

Core Insights - PayPal's stock has experienced significant volatility, with a year-to-date loss exceeding 30% and a decline of over 78% from its all-time high in July 2021, although it has seen a nearly 5% increase since its 52-week low in April [1][4]. Financial Performance - In Q3 2023, PayPal reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.34, surpassing expectations of $1.19, and revenue of $8.42 billion, exceeding the forecast of $8.25 billion, marking year-over-year increases of 11.7% and 7.3% respectively [2]. - Since 2015, PayPal's total annual revenue has grown by over 222%, reaching $29.614 billion in 2023, while net income has also shown consistent growth [8]. Market Position and Industry Growth - PayPal, founded in 1998, has established itself as a pioneer in online payments, with a market cap that peaked at $356.75 billion in July 2021 but has since decreased to $64.54 billion [3][4]. - The global fintech service market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5% from 2023 to 2030, presenting significant growth opportunities for PayPal [4]. Key Growth Drivers - The demand for digital payments is surging, with the market expanding from $6.25 trillion in 2017 to $15.46 trillion in 2023, and expected to reach $36.75 trillion by 2029 [10]. - PayPal has consistently posted strong earnings, beating expectations in 16 out of the last 19 quarters, and has seen free cash flow grow from $3.37 billion in 2019 to $6.71 billion currently [11]. - The expansion of PayPal's services, including credit offerings and "Buy Now, Pay Later" options, is expected to enhance revenue growth, with the latter projected to grow at a CAGR of 24.3% from 2023 to 2030 [12]. Stock Predictions - The median one-year price target for PayPal is $76.39, indicating a potential upside of 27.72% from its current share price, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" among analysts [13]. - By the end of 2025, the forecasted share price is $81.15, representing a 35.67% increase, with further projections estimating the stock could reach $141.00 by 2030, a potential increase of 135.74% [14][16].

Nexi has declined a €1bn ($1.17bn) offer from investment firm TPG for its digital banking solutions unit, reported Bloomberg. Last month, TPG submitted a binding offer for the digital banking solutions division of Italian payments technology company Nexi, after several months of negotiations. This follows earlier efforts to sell Nexi’s digital banking business with discussions involving mooted €800m deal with Italian fund F2i, which also did not result in a sale. The Italian digital payment company sai ...

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is one of the most widely held stocks by hedge funds in 2025. Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) announced on December 18 a significant milestone in the evolution of AI-powered commerce, reporting the successful completion of hundreds of secure, agent-initiated transactions in collaboration with partners across the ecosystem. Management stated that the breakthrough points towards 2025 being the final year where consumers shop and checkout alone, with AI agent-driven payments experiencing a rapid transit ...

Company Overview - Shift4 Payments reported a total revenue of $3.9 billion and a net income of $194.8 million for the trailing twelve months (TTM) [5] - The company's stock price as of the last market close was $64.07, reflecting a 37% decline over the past year [5] Recent Developments - Portolan Capital Management reduced its stake in Shift4 Payments by selling 246,414 shares in the third quarter, resulting in a decrease in position value by $28.52 million [2][3][7] - Following the sale, Portolan held 188,761 shares valued at $14.61 million, which now represents 0.79% of its reportable U.S. equity assets under management (AUM) [4][3] Financial Performance - Shift4 Payments reported third-quarter gross revenue of $1.18 billion, marking a 29% year-over-year increase, with gross revenue less network fees rising by 61% [12] - The adjusted EBITDA for the quarter reached $292 million, indicating a 50% margin, while adjusted free cash flow increased by 27% year-over-year to $141 million [12] Strategic Actions - The company has authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program, the largest in its history, reflecting management's confidence in long-term cash generation [12] - Despite strong operational performance, the stock's underperformance suggests that growth alone may not be sufficient to maintain investor confidence [13]

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) announced a milestone in the evolution of AI-powered commerce: “hundreds of secure, agent-initiated transactions” have now been successfully completed in collab with partners across the ecosystem. This signals that 2025 will be the final year consumers shop and checkout alone, as AI agent-driven payments “transition from experimentation to mainstream adoption.”Visa research indicates that nearly half “f U.S. shoppers (47 percent)1 now use AI tools for “at least one shopping task—from pri ...

Key insights: Visa and Mastercard are building mobile wallet scale through a series of partnerships. What's at stake: Both card networks say internal research is tracking popularity for mobile wallets. Forward look: Apple's agreement with EU regulators to open its NFC technology will draw more wallet providers in the next year. As 2025 winds to a close, Mastercard has advanced two partnerships designed to enable merchant access to mobile wallets in dozens of countries, joining rival Visa in building ...

One97 Communications has announced that its subsidiary, Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL), has secured the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) authorisation to act as a payment aggregator (PA) for both offline payments as well as cross-border transactions. With this approval, PPSL now possesses PA licences covering all major segments, including online, offline, and cross-border payments. This development is said to support One97’s long-term plans for both domestic and global payment acceptance. PPSL ini ...

Interchecks and Mastercard have formed a collaboration to advance account-to-account (A2A) payments, combining the former’s Pay by Bank solution with the Open Finance capabilities of Mastercard. The partnership will see Interchecks utilise Mastercard's Open Finance verification and network reach to increase the Pay by Bank accessibility in new markets and for various use cases. It is said to target key payment challenges such as decreasing failed subscription transactions, offering quicker and more adap ...