OFI Invest Asset Management Takes Stake in Visa Inc.

OFI Invest Asset Management has acquired a new stake in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) during the fourth quarter, as noted in its latest Form 13F submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased a total of 158,839 shares of the well-known credit card processor, which is estimated to be valued at around $48,478,000. This investment constitutes roughly 1.1% of OFI Invest Asset Management's entire investment portfolio, positioning Visa as the 19th largest holding for the institution.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also participated in the buying and selling of Visa shares recently. For example, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Visa in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Similarly, Decker Retirement Planning Inc. made a new investment in Visa during the fourth quarter, valued approximately at $26,000. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC also acquired a stake in Visa during the fourth quarter, valued at around $27,000.

POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Visa by 48.5% in the fourth quarter, resulting in ownership of 98 shares valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares recently. Furthermore, Modus Advisors LLC established a new position in Visa, also in the fourth quarter, valued at $32,000. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 82.15% of Visa's stock.

Current Visa Stock Overview

Visa's stock opened at $345.79 on a recent Friday trading session. Over the past year, Visa Inc. has reached a low of $252.70 and a high of $366.54. The company's market capitalization stands at $642.41 billion, with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 34.86 and a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 2.33. The company's stock shows a beta of 0.95, indicating its volatility relative to the market.

Visa has a quick ratio and current ratio of 1.12 each, along with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The shares have a 50-day simple moving average of $336.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $308.63.

Visa's Recent Earnings Report

Visa Inc. reported its quarterly earnings on January 30th, revealing earnings per share (EPS) of $2.75 for the quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.66 by $0.09. The company achieved a return on equity of 54.79% and a net margin of 54.27%. Furthermore, analysts anticipate that Visa Inc. will post 11.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dividends and Stockholder Returns

Visa recently announced a quarterly dividend that was paid out on March 3rd. Shareholders who were on record as of February 11th received a dividend of $0.59 per share, with an ex-dividend date of the same day. This translates into an annual dividend of $2.36, reflecting a dividend yield of 0.68%. Visa’s dividend payout ratio stands at 23.79%.

Analyst Ratings and Forecasts

Analysts have made several evaluations concerning Visa’s stock performance. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Visa from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report dated January 14th. Bank of America raised their target price for Visa from $331.00 to $363.00 and assigned a "neutral" rating. Also, Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating on Visa shares in a February report. Barclays upped their target for Visa from $361.00 to $396.00 and issued an "overweight" rating. In total, six analysts have issued "hold" ratings, twenty-three provided "buy" ratings, and one gave a "strong buy" rating, resulting in an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $353.96, according to MarketBeat.com.

Insider Transactions

In related insider activity, Peter M. Andreski, the Chief Accounting Officer (CAO), sold 2,332 shares of Visa stock on February 7th for an average price of $349.62, totaling approximately $815,313.84. After this transaction, Andreski’s total holdings are reduced to 4,488 shares, valued at about $1,569,094.56. Additionally, insider Tullier Kelly Mahon sold 33,741 shares at an average price of $349.77, accumulating $11,801,589.57. Post-transaction, Mahon owns 36,566 shares worth approximately $12,789,689.82. In the last three months, insiders have sold a total of 64,505 shares valued at $22,290,507, with only 0.13% of shares currently held by insiders.

Understanding Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. is a global payment technology company operating in both the United States and international markets. Its main operational backbone is VisaNet, a complex transaction processing network that allows for the authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. Visa primarily provides credit, debit, and prepaid card products, as well as various services including tokenization and fraud management, among others.

OFI, Visa, Investment