The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Visa, Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher and AMREP
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 19 2025
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Featured Stocks: The Zacks Analyst Blog highlights stocks such as Visa Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and AMREP Corporation, providing insights into their performance, growth strategies, and market challenges.
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Analyst Views on V
Wall Street analysts forecast V stock price to rise
25 Analyst Rating
23 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 324.180
Low
330.00
Averages
406.59
High
450.00
Current: 324.180
Low
330.00
Averages
406.59
High
450.00
About V
Visa Inc. is a global payments technology company. It facilitates global commerce and money movement across more than 200 countries and territories among a global set of consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities through technologies. It operates through the Payment Services segment. It provides transaction processing services (primarily authorization, clearing and settlement) to its financial institution and merchant clients through VisaNet, its proprietary advanced transaction processing network. It offers a range of Visa-branded payment products that its clients, including nearly 14,500 financial institutions, use to develop and offer payment solutions or services, including credit, debit, prepaid and cash access programs for individual, business and government account holders. It also provides value-added services to its clients, including issuing solutions, acceptance solutions, risk and identity solutions, open banking solutions and advisory services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Northern Italy Sees Surge in Visa Spending
- Overseas Visitor Surge: During the opening weekend of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Northern Italy saw a more than 60% increase in Visa cardholder visitors from abroad, with U.S. visitors experiencing a remarkable 160% year-on-year growth, highlighting the positive economic impact of major international events on local economies.
- Spending Boom: International Visa cardholders significantly increased their spending, with U.S. cardholders leading the charge with a 125% year-on-year increase, while top spenders from Germany, China, and the U.S. averaged €297, €267, and €255 respectively, indicating a strong spending capacity among visitors.
- Sector Performance: During the opening weekend, international Visa cardholders recorded notable increases in purchases across Clothing & Accessories (+35%), Restaurants, and Mobility & Transport, reflecting robust performance in these sectors during major events.
- Payment System Enhancement: Visa has established a custom payment network for the 2026 Winter Olympics, ensuring that Visa payments are accepted at approximately 800 points of sale across 13 competition venues and other official locations, thereby enhancing payment convenience and improving the overall consumer experience.
See More
The Investment Advantages of Berkshire Hathaway
- Diversified Portfolio: Berkshire Hathaway boasts over 60 subsidiaries across various sectors, including insurance, energy, construction, manufacturing, railroads, and dining, making its diversification comparable to some exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- Indirect Stock Holdings: By owning shares of Berkshire, investors can indirectly hold positions in five other stocks, including Apple, Alphabet (Google's parent), Amazon, Chevron, and Mastercard, thereby achieving broader market exposure.
- Strong Long-term Prospects: Berkshire's portfolio also includes companies like American Express, Coca-Cola, and Visa, which have solid long-term growth potential, enhancing its investment appeal.
- Management Stability: Although Warren Buffett is no longer CEO, he remains confident in the company's future and believes that under Greg Abel's leadership, Berkshire's prospects will improve, demonstrating the stability of its governance and potential for continued growth.
See More
Advantages of Holding High Dividend Stocks
- Visa Financial Performance: Visa reported $10.9 billion in revenue for Q1 FY26 with a net profit margin of 53.7%, establishing a solid foundation for future dividend increases, having raised its dividend by 14% at the end of FY25.
- Shareholder Returns: In Q1, Visa distributed $5.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks, nearly matching its $5.9 billion net income, indicating the company's flexibility to increase dividends amid strong profitability.
- Caterpillar Market Position: As a leader in the construction industry with over 100 years of experience, Caterpillar is positioned in a multi-year megatrend, particularly benefiting from soaring demand in AI infrastructure, leading to a 35% stock increase year-to-date.
- Performance Growth and Returns: Caterpillar achieved an 18% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 FY25, ending with a record backlog of $51 billion, while returning $7.9 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, alongside a 7% dividend increase last year.
See More
Visa Launches Small Business Support Platform
- Small Business Financing Support: On February 5, 2026, Visa launched the Visa & Main platform, focusing on addressing the financing challenges faced by 43% of small businesses by establishing a $100 million working capital facility in partnership with community lender Lendistry, aimed at fostering small business growth and development.
- Digital Tools Integration: The platform not only provides funding support but also integrates digital tools and marketing assistance to help small businesses profit from high-traffic events like the FIFA World Cup 2026, thereby enhancing their market competitiveness and customer attraction.
- Network Stickiness Enhancement: By strengthening engagement throughout the merchant ecosystem, Visa & Main aims to increase transaction volumes and acceptance, further solidifying Visa's long-term stickiness in the payment network and ensuring sustained payment flows throughout economic cycles.
- Promotion of Secure Payments: The initiative also encourages wider use of fraud prevention, digital payments, and expense management tools, which are expected to increase usage across Visa's network, driving small businesses' success in their digital transformation.
See More
Barrier Capital Initiates Over $10 Million Position in Compass
- New Investment Move: Barrier Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing dated February 13, 2026, that it initiated a new position in Compass (NYSE:COMP) by purchasing 952,074 shares valued at $10.06 million, indicating a strong bullish outlook on the company.
- Asset Allocation Shift: This transaction positions Compass as the sixth largest holding for Barrier Capital, representing 7.4% of its reportable assets under management, reflecting confidence in Compass's future growth potential.
- Strong Performance: Compass achieved record revenue of $1.9 billion in Q3 2026, marking a 24% year-over-year growth, and forecasts sales to reach between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion in Q4, further solidifying its market position.
- Attractive Valuation: With a price-to-sales ratio of 0.9 and a solid balance sheet, Compass is viewed as a good investment opportunity despite not being included in Motley Fool's top stock picks, highlighting the potential for significant returns.
See More
Financial Stocks Positioned to Leverage AI Advantages
- Large Bank Advantages: Major financial institutions like JPMorgan (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) have billions to invest in AI research, enabling them to enhance compliance, data entry, and customer service efficiency through custom large language models, thus maintaining a competitive edge.
- Emerging Fintech Potential: Neobanks such as Sofi Technologies (SOFI) and Nu Holdings (NU) are well-positioned to deploy AI tools effectively due to their digital infrastructure-based business models, enhancing customer service quality while reducing operational costs, showcasing strong market competitiveness.
- Payment Processing Transformation: Companies like PayPal (PYPL) and Visa (V) are leveraging AI technology to optimize payment routing and fraud detection, with PayPal enhancing its competitive edge in multichannel sales through the acquisition of Cymbio, further driving innovation and cost compression.
- Application of Complex Data: Fintech firms like SoFi and Lemonade utilize their complex proprietary data sets to achieve better credit assessments and underwriting results, particularly as SoFi has seen a surge in loan originations over the past few years, demonstrating the significant potential of AI in enhancing business efficiency.
See More
Northern Italy Sees Surge in Visa Spending
- Overseas Visitor Surge: During the opening weekend of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Northern Italy saw a more than 60% increase in Visa cardholder visitors from abroad, with U.S. visitors experiencing a remarkable 160% year-on-year growth, highlighting the positive economic impact of major international events on local economies.
- Spending Boom: International Visa cardholders significantly increased their spending, with U.S. cardholders leading the charge with a 125% year-on-year increase, while top spenders from Germany, China, and the U.S. averaged €297, €267, and €255 respectively, indicating a strong spending capacity among visitors.
- Sector Performance: During the opening weekend, international Visa cardholders recorded notable increases in purchases across Clothing & Accessories (+35%), Restaurants, and Mobility & Transport, reflecting robust performance in these sectors during major events.
- Payment System Enhancement: Visa has established a custom payment network for the 2026 Winter Olympics, ensuring that Visa payments are accepted at approximately 800 points of sale across 13 competition venues and other official locations, thereby enhancing payment convenience and improving the overall consumer experience.
See More
The Investment Advantages of Berkshire Hathaway
- Diversified Portfolio: Berkshire Hathaway boasts over 60 subsidiaries across various sectors, including insurance, energy, construction, manufacturing, railroads, and dining, making its diversification comparable to some exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- Indirect Stock Holdings: By owning shares of Berkshire, investors can indirectly hold positions in five other stocks, including Apple, Alphabet (Google's parent), Amazon, Chevron, and Mastercard, thereby achieving broader market exposure.
- Strong Long-term Prospects: Berkshire's portfolio also includes companies like American Express, Coca-Cola, and Visa, which have solid long-term growth potential, enhancing its investment appeal.
- Management Stability: Although Warren Buffett is no longer CEO, he remains confident in the company's future and believes that under Greg Abel's leadership, Berkshire's prospects will improve, demonstrating the stability of its governance and potential for continued growth.
See More
Advantages of Holding High Dividend Stocks
- Visa Financial Performance: Visa reported $10.9 billion in revenue for Q1 FY26 with a net profit margin of 53.7%, establishing a solid foundation for future dividend increases, having raised its dividend by 14% at the end of FY25.
- Shareholder Returns: In Q1, Visa distributed $5.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks, nearly matching its $5.9 billion net income, indicating the company's flexibility to increase dividends amid strong profitability.
- Caterpillar Market Position: As a leader in the construction industry with over 100 years of experience, Caterpillar is positioned in a multi-year megatrend, particularly benefiting from soaring demand in AI infrastructure, leading to a 35% stock increase year-to-date.
- Performance Growth and Returns: Caterpillar achieved an 18% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4 FY25, ending with a record backlog of $51 billion, while returning $7.9 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, alongside a 7% dividend increase last year.
See More
Visa Launches Small Business Support Platform
- Small Business Financing Support: On February 5, 2026, Visa launched the Visa & Main platform, focusing on addressing the financing challenges faced by 43% of small businesses by establishing a $100 million working capital facility in partnership with community lender Lendistry, aimed at fostering small business growth and development.
- Digital Tools Integration: The platform not only provides funding support but also integrates digital tools and marketing assistance to help small businesses profit from high-traffic events like the FIFA World Cup 2026, thereby enhancing their market competitiveness and customer attraction.
- Network Stickiness Enhancement: By strengthening engagement throughout the merchant ecosystem, Visa & Main aims to increase transaction volumes and acceptance, further solidifying Visa's long-term stickiness in the payment network and ensuring sustained payment flows throughout economic cycles.
- Promotion of Secure Payments: The initiative also encourages wider use of fraud prevention, digital payments, and expense management tools, which are expected to increase usage across Visa's network, driving small businesses' success in their digital transformation.
See More
Barrier Capital Initiates Over $10 Million Position in Compass
- New Investment Move: Barrier Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing dated February 13, 2026, that it initiated a new position in Compass (NYSE:COMP) by purchasing 952,074 shares valued at $10.06 million, indicating a strong bullish outlook on the company.
- Asset Allocation Shift: This transaction positions Compass as the sixth largest holding for Barrier Capital, representing 7.4% of its reportable assets under management, reflecting confidence in Compass's future growth potential.
- Strong Performance: Compass achieved record revenue of $1.9 billion in Q3 2026, marking a 24% year-over-year growth, and forecasts sales to reach between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion in Q4, further solidifying its market position.
- Attractive Valuation: With a price-to-sales ratio of 0.9 and a solid balance sheet, Compass is viewed as a good investment opportunity despite not being included in Motley Fool's top stock picks, highlighting the potential for significant returns.
See More
Financial Stocks Positioned to Leverage AI Advantages
- Large Bank Advantages: Major financial institutions like JPMorgan (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC) have billions to invest in AI research, enabling them to enhance compliance, data entry, and customer service efficiency through custom large language models, thus maintaining a competitive edge.
- Emerging Fintech Potential: Neobanks such as Sofi Technologies (SOFI) and Nu Holdings (NU) are well-positioned to deploy AI tools effectively due to their digital infrastructure-based business models, enhancing customer service quality while reducing operational costs, showcasing strong market competitiveness.
- Payment Processing Transformation: Companies like PayPal (PYPL) and Visa (V) are leveraging AI technology to optimize payment routing and fraud detection, with PayPal enhancing its competitive edge in multichannel sales through the acquisition of Cymbio, further driving innovation and cost compression.
- Application of Complex Data: Fintech firms like SoFi and Lemonade utilize their complex proprietary data sets to achieve better credit assessments and underwriting results, particularly as SoFi has seen a surge in loan originations over the past few years, demonstrating the significant potential of AI in enhancing business efficiency.
See More
