Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates, research reports, and stock screens [1][2] Zacks Style Scores - The Zacks Style Scores are indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, helping investors identify stocks likely to outperform the market in the next 30 days [2][3] - Stocks are rated from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperformance [3] - The Style Scores consist of four categories: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score, each focusing on different investment strategies [3][4][5][6] Value Score - The Value Score identifies attractive stocks using ratios like P/E, PEG, and Price/Sales, appealing to value investors seeking undervalued opportunities [3] Growth Score - The Growth Score emphasizes a company's financial health and future outlook, focusing on projected and historical earnings, sales, and cash flow [4] Momentum Score - The Momentum Score helps investors capitalize on price trends, utilizing short-term price changes and earnings estimate revisions [5] VGM Score - The VGM Score combines the three Style Scores to identify stocks with the best value, growth potential, and momentum, serving as a strong indicator alongside the Zacks Rank [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that uses earnings estimate revisions to simplify stock selection, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.86% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [7][8] - Investors are encouraged to focus on stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B for optimal returns [10] Stock to Watch: Visa Inc. - Visa Inc. is a leading global payments technology company, publicly traded since March 2008, with a current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and a VGM Score of B [12] - Visa has a Growth Style Score of B, with a projected year-over-year earnings growth of 11.9% for the current fiscal year, and recent upward revisions in earnings estimates [13]

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Card giant Visa said on Thursday it would buy payment platforms Prisma and Newpay from ‌private-equity firm Advent International, bolstering its presence in Argentina. The ‌deal links Visa's global payments network with a scaled local platform, giving ​the company a stronger footing to bolster digital payments use and modernize infrastructure across Argentina. It will fast-track the adoption of technologies such as tokenization, biometric authentication and intelligent risk tools for ...

Core Insights - Visa has announced the acquisition of payment platforms Prisma and Newpay from Advent International to enhance its presence in Argentina [1] - The deal aims to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies such as tokenization, biometric authentication, and intelligent risk tools in Argentina [1] - Visa sees significant opportunities for expanding digital payments and modernizing financial services in the country [1] Company Overview - Visa is a leading card payment company that is actively seeking to strengthen its market position in Argentina through strategic acquisitions [1] - The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, but it is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026 [1] Industry Implications - The acquisition is part of a broader trend in the financial services industry towards digital payment solutions and modernization of payment infrastructure [1] - Visa's investment in local payment platforms indicates a growing focus on enhancing consumer and business payment experiences in emerging markets like Argentina [1]

Advent to Sell Prisma and Newpay to VisaFeb 19, 2026 9:13 AM Eastern Standard Time# Advent to Sell Prisma and Newpay to VisaShare---SÃO PAULO & BUENOS AIRES, Argentina--([BUSINESS WIRE])-- Advent International, a leading global private equity investor, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Prisma and Newpay, subsidiaries of Group Prisma, a leading Argentine payments company, to Visa (NYSE: V).During Advent's ownership, the group underwent a strategic transformation, resulti ...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Visa (NYSE: V) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Prisma Medios de Pago S.A.U. ("Prisma†) and Newpay S.A.U. ("Newpay†) in Argentina from Advent International. This strategic acquisition underscores Visa's commitment to providing clients with the advanced capabilities and technologies that accelerate the adoption of innovative payment solutions for consumers and businesses across the country. Prisma provides credit. ...

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Visa plans to purchase Prisma Medios de Pago and Newpay from the private equity firm Advent International in an acquisition agreement that returns the Argentine assets to the card network’s fold. The companies didn’t disclose the financial terms, but said in press releases Thursday that the deal would close by the end of March. Visa, which previously ...

Core Insights - Banqup has partnered with Visa to enhance payment automation and e-invoicing solutions in Europe, driven by upcoming e-invoicing regulations set to take effect by 2028 [2][3] Group 1: Partnership Details - The collaboration aims to integrate Visa's secure payment capabilities into Banqup's invoicing and order-to-cash workflows, facilitating compliance with new regulations while improving cash flow visibility and reducing administrative friction [3] - Banqup will leverage Visa's global network to offer virtual commercial cards, enabling small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to optimize cash flow by extending payment terms while ensuring timely payments to suppliers [7] Group 2: Market Context - The partnership addresses the challenges faced by SMBs, particularly the strain of late payments, which can lead to postponed payroll and delayed vendor payments [7][8] - Many small businesses still rely on legacy payment methods, which slow down settlement processes and reduce visibility into incoming funds, highlighting the need for faster payment solutions [9][10]

Industry Overview - The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the broader FinTech space, encompassing card and payment processing, ATM services, money remittance, and investment solutions for financial advisors [2] - The industry benefits from ongoing digitization accelerated by the pandemic, facilitating quick and secure monetary transactions across multiple currencies globally [2] Key Growth Drivers - Expanding global trade, rising international travel, and increasing demand for cross-border payments and remittances are key factors driving growth in the industry [5] - Continued e-commerce growth and a resilient labor market are sustaining transaction volumes, although inflation and tariff pressures may strain consumer budgets [1][4] Technology Investments - Companies are significantly increasing technology expenditures to enhance digital infrastructure, including investments in biometric authentication, QR-code payments, and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms [3] - The rise in digital payments has led to increased exposure to cyber threats, prompting companies to invest heavily in cybersecurity and fraud detection systems [3] Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions - Companies in the sector are engaging in strategic mergers and acquisitions to strengthen digital ecosystems, expand service offerings, and enhance global reach [6][7] - Expectations for interest rate cuts in 2026 may encourage companies to utilize debt financing for M&A activities, allowing them to pursue growth opportunities while preserving cash [7] Consumer Spending Trends - Stable consumer spending supports higher transaction volumes, although persistent inflation may lead to more cautious spending behavior [4] - A resilient labor market with low unemployment and steady wage growth could help sustain consumer purchasing activity in the near term [4] Industry Performance - The Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry has underperformed compared to the Business Services sector and the S&P 500, declining 24.3% over the past year [11] - The industry's current valuation is at a forward 12-month price/earnings ratio of 18.15X, lower than the S&P 500's 22.51X [15] Notable Companies - **Global Payments**: Positioned for growth with strong performances in Merchant and Issuer Solutions, benefiting from increasing transaction volumes [18] - **Visa**: A major player in digital payments, expanding through strategic alliances and acquisitions, with a focus on technology investment [23] - **Mastercard**: Operates a multi-rail infrastructure for seamless payments, with a strong cross-border payments platform [26] - **Fiserv**: Maintains a competitive position in digital payments with a broad portfolio and strategic acquisitions [30] - **Fidelity National**: Achieving solid revenue growth through Banking and Capital Markets Solutions, with a strategic international footprint [34]

But it’s worth noting that the numbers aren’t uniform across the country. VISA looked at national averages, and the threshold to qualify for affluence and net worth varies widely based on regional purchasing power.The report also noted that “persistent labor shortages — driven by retiring baby boomers and slower immigration — have fueled strong income growth.”From 2019 to 2023, the income required to be part of this group rose 24% partly due to “the surge in asset prices” for that period, according to Visa. ...

Core Perspective - The UK is moving towards establishing payment card sovereignty to reduce reliance on US-owned networks like Visa and Mastercard, reflecting a broader trend of payment independence in Europe [3][5][9]. Group 1: Current Landscape - Approximately 95% of UK card transactions are processed through Visa and Mastercard, indicating a high level of centralization and concentration risk in the payment system [3][4][13]. - The UK's National Payments Vision emphasizes the need for infrastructure modernization to enhance resilience and reduce dependency on a few global technology providers [3][4]. Group 2: Domestic Payment Initiatives - UK banks are accelerating plans for a domestic card payments alternative, which has been discussed for years as a government-backed initiative to provide a backup to existing systems [4][12]. - The move towards a dedicated domestic payments rail is significant, as it aims to align incentives, liability frameworks, and technology to build consumer trust and merchant acceptance [17][18]. Group 3: Challenges and Considerations - Open Banking is not yet a complete substitute for card payments, as it lacks the full range of use cases and consumer familiarity associated with traditional cards [14][16]. - Structural challenges exist within the Open Banking sector, including profitability issues and intense competition, which hinder its ability to serve as a core national payments infrastructure [15][16]. Group 4: Strategic Importance - Payments are increasingly recognized as strategic national infrastructure, necessitating coordinated public-private investment and interoperability with European schemes to ensure resilience [12][18]. - The geopolitical landscape has heightened concerns about the UK's exposure to risks associated with reliance on US payment networks, making the development of domestic alternatives more critical [8][9].