The Investment Committee detail their top picks for 2026 and explain why these names are may go higher during the year.
This year, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) has unveiled a scam disruption initiative, adoption of its “Tap to Phone” technology has soared, it unveiled its vision for artificial intelligence (AI) in commerce, and it expanded its capabilities in the digital currency space.
Visa Inc. and Mastercard Incorporated form a resilient duopoly benefiting from scale, network effects, and secular digital payment growth. V edges out MA with higher margins, a cleaner balance sheet, and a lower valuation, supporting a Strong Buy rating for Visa versus Buy for Mastercard. Both companies are protected from credit risk, generate robust free cash flow, and return significant capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.
PYPL is betting on AI-driven commerce and platform engagement as it competes with V's scale-led payments network.
Michael Brown, Visa principal U.S. economist, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the state of the consumer, bifurcation in consumer spending, 2026 outlook, and more.
Sales for U.S. retailers have increased by about 4% so far this holiday season as Americans balanced tighter budgets with a desire to upgrade gadgets and refresh wardrobes, according to preliminary figures released by Visa and Mastercard on Tuesday.
U.S. holiday retail spending increased 4.2% year over year, not adjusted for inflation, according to preliminary data from Visa. E-commerce spending jumped 7.8%, though physical stores still captured nearly three-quarters of all spending.
Zacks.com users have recently been watching Visa (V) quite a bit. Thus, it is worth knowing the facts that could determine the stock's prospects.
Visa and Mastercard will reportedly pay $167.5 million to settle a long-running ATM fee lawsuit. That's according to a report Friday (Dec. 19) from Reuters, citing court documents in a case that had accused the payment giants of conspiring to artificially boost ATM access fees.
V is teaming up with Akamai to secure AI-driven agentic commerce, authenticating shopping agents and intent to separate legitimate activity from fraud.
Visa said it successfully completed hundreds of AI transactions as part of a pilot program it kicked off after a product event in April. The credit care issuer has been working on tools to automate purchases for consumers.
Visa (V) stock may represent a strong buying opportunity at this time. Why? Because you receive high margins – indicative of pricing power and cash generation ability – for a discounted price.