Visa topped analysts' expectations in its first fiscal quarter of 2026 amid strong holiday spending.
The payment firm's earnings per share surged by 15% to US$3.17, surpassing expectations of $3.14 per share in data compiled by Bloomberg.
Net revenue also jumped by 15% to US$10.9 billion. This follows CEO Ryan McInerney saying that the company expects full-year net revenue to grow by a percentage in the “low-double-digit” range in October.
McInernney attributed the strong first fiscal quarter to “resilient consumer spending and a strong holiday season, as well as continued strength in value-added services and commercial and money movement solutions”.
This comes after the company expanded its offering to open its U.S. network to stablecoin settlement in December.
Visa and its peers had been seeking to find ways to expand into the market for stablecoins as President Donald Trump’s administration provided more regulatory clarity.
Visa’s biggest competitor, Mastercard, also recorded positive results for its final quarter of fiscal 2025 with adjusted earnings of $4.76 and net revenues of $8.8 billion.
Both companies saw strong spending and surpassed analyst expectations.
Both payment firms reached a pact in November with merchants over the fees they pay to accept card payments, though it’s unclear whether the $200 billion agreement is enough to settle the long-running issue.
Visa (NYSE: V) stock traded 1.5% higher to US$331.80 on Thursday. The company maintains a market capitalisation of $634.48 billion.
