By Pritam Biswas (Reuters) -Visa narrowly beat estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday and gave an upbeat forecast for its new fiscal year, as strong consumer spending in the U.S. drove card transaction volumes on the payments processing company’s network. More people swiped their cards for day-to-day expenses in the July-September quarter, keeping overall consumer […]
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Visa beats quarterly Street estimates on strong transaction volumes, cross-border growth slows
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By Pritam Biswas
(Reuters) -Visa narrowly beat estimates for fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday and gave an upbeat forecast for its new fiscal year, as strong consumer spending in the U.S. drove card transaction volumes on the payments processing company’s network.
More people swiped their cards for day-to-day expenses in the July-September quarter, keeping overall consumer spending steady, although worries over the economy weighed on discretionary purchases.
Global payments volume, a gauge of overall consumer and business spending on Visa’s network, jumped 9% on a constant dollar basis in the quarter ended September 30.
“When looking at quarterly spend category data in the U.S., we saw broad-based strength, including improvements in retail services and goods, travel and fuel,” Visa CFO Chris Suh said on a post-earnings call.
Quarterly net revenue rose 12% to $10.72 billion, surpassing analysts’ estimates of $10.61 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The company reported adjusted net income of $5.80 billion, or $2.98 per share, for the three months ended September 30, compared with $5.43 billion, or $2.71 per share, a year earlier.
Analysts were expecting a profit of $2.97 per share.
The payments company expects low double-digit growth in FY 2026 net revenue on a constant dollar basis that hovered near analysts’ estimates of about 11%.
CROSS-BORDER AND STOCK PERFORMANCE
Visa’s cross-border total volume grew at a slightly slower pace of 12% in the fourth quarter, compared with the year-earlier period.
“The marginal beat reflects steady transaction growth and resilient core spending, though upside surprises were more muted than in prior quarters, partly due to softer cross-border volumes,” Third Bridge analyst Jonathan King said.
The company’s services are used by billions worldwide for everyday purchases, making it a barometer for economic health.
On tariffs, CFO Suh said in an interview with Reuters that the company had not seen a meaningful impact.
Shares of Visa rose about 1% in extended trading. The stock is up 10% this year, outpacing gains in peer Mastercard, although it still lags American Express, whose customer base is typically seen as more affluent.
American Express raised its 2025 profit and revenue forecasts earlier in the month, while Mastercard is set to report its quarterly results on Thursday.
(Reporting by Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)