Visa Inc. operates as a payment technology company in the United States and internationally. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, and click to pay services; Visa Direct, a solution that facilitates the delivery of funds to eligible cards, deposit accounts, and digital wallets; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral business-to-business cross-border payments network; Visa Cross-Border Solution, a cross-border consumer payments solution; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value-added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. The company also provides acceptance solutions, which include Cybersource that provides modular and value-added services for connecting merchants to payment processing; risk and identity solutions, such as Visa Advanced Authorization, Visa Secure, Visa Risk and Decision Manager, Visa Consumer Authentication Service, and payment-decisioning solutions for fraud prevention; and Visa Consulting and Analytics, a payment consulting advisory services. It provides its services under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink, V PAY, and PLUS brand names. The company serves merchants, financial institutions, and government entities. Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Visa остаётся высококачественным бизнесом с очень сильной рентабельностью, но рынок уже закладывает в цену заметную премию за это качество. Маржа чистой прибыли 51.68% и операционная маржа 61.12% выглядят выдающе, а ROE 58.90%, ROA 22.72% и ROI 38.30% подтверждают, что капитал используется крайне эффективно. При этом динамика выручки и прибыли положительная: выручка выросла до 11.23 млрд, чистая прибыль — до 6.02 млрд, операционная прибыль — до 7.23 млрд, что поддерживает оценку бизнеса как устойчиво растущего. С другой стороны, мультипликаторы остаются очень высокими: P/E 28.14, P/S 14.59, P/B 15.41 и P/FCF 31.16 существенно выше отраслевых медиан, поэтому запас для дальнейшего расширения оценки ограничен. Особенно важно, что все ключевые мультипликаторы за последние периоды в целом снижались, что говорит о некотором охлаждении оценки, но не о дешёвизне. Долговая нагрузка умеренная, однако debt/equity 0.63 выше медианы отрасли, а long-term debt около 19.6 млрд — это не критично для Visa, но добавляет осторожности. Ликвидность выглядит приемлемо по current ratio 1.09, но quick ratio равен нулю, что для модели оценки требует консервативного подхода и не даёт повода повышать прогноз агрессивно. Дивидендная доходность 0.21% остаётся очень низкой, поэтому дивидендный фактор почти не поддерживает переоценку. В сумме фундаментал у компании сильный, но он уже хорошо отражён в цене, а текущая рыночная оценка выглядит дорогой относительно отрасли. Для инвестора это означает, что Visa остаётся качественным защитным активом с хорошей операционной динамикой, но потенциал роста котировки на горизонте года ограничен из-за высокой базы мультипликаторов. Поэтому целевой прогноз уместно слегка скорректировать вниз, сохранив при этом признание высокого качества бизнеса.

Visa Inc.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Быки в растерянности.

Strong index, significantly down. The bulls are confused.

Слабый индекс, значительно упал. Уверенность медведей остается на низком уровне.

Weak index, significantly down. Bearish confidence remains low.

Слабый индекс, без изменений. Рынок на стороне быков.

Weak index, flat. The market is on the bulls' side.

Слабый индекс, без изменений. Рынок не поддерживает медведей.

Weak index, flat. The market does not support the bears.

Слабый индекс, незначительно вырос

Слабый индекс, незначительно упал. Увеличился отток средств из шортов.

Weak index, slightly down. The outflow of funds from shorts has increased.

У Visa сильная прибыльность и рост выручки, но оценка остаётся дорогой по P/E, P/S, P/B и P/FCF, поэтому прогноз стоит немного снизить.

PayPal Holdings PYPL stock has plunged 8.6% in the past three months, weighed down by weaker guidance, macroeconomic uncertainty and heightened competition in the digital payments space.
Rivalry in the digital payments space remains intense, with payment giants Visa Inc. V and Mastercard Incorporated MA continuing to expand their capabilities and presence across digital commerce, posing a growing challenge to PayPal. Visa stock has gained 5.6%, while Mastercard stock has fallen 2% in three months.
Investors are now questioning whether PayPal’s struggles represent a deeper problem or an opportunity to buy into a long-term recovery story. Let’s delve deeper into this.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Why Do PYPL Shares Fall?
Although PayPal’s online branded checkout total payment volume (TPV) growth improved in the first quarter of 2026, increasing 2% on a currency-neutral basis from the prior quarter, management expects growth to remain subdued. For full-year 2026, PayPal is guiding online branded checkout TPV growth to be slightly positive to low single digits, reflecting a cautious outlook despite early signs of stabilization in the business.
In the second quarter of 2026, the company expects low-single-digit revenue growth on a currency-neutral basis, a low single-digit or approximately 3% decline in TM$, a low single-digit or approximately 2% decline in TM$ excluding interest, and a decline of high single digits or approximately 9% in non-GAAP EPS. The company reiterated 2026 guidance, under which TM$ is expected to decline slightly. Non-GAAP EPS is expected range from a low-single-digit decline to slightly positive.
Macroeconomic headwinds and intense competition in the global payments industry make PYPL susceptible to volatility. Additionally, the nature of the business makes it vulnerable to foreign exchange fluctuations.
PayPal’s Strategic Partnership & Next-Gen Transformations
In May 2026, PayPal signed a multi-year partnership with the Seattle Seahawks to become the team’s Official Fan-to-Fan Payments and exclusive digital ticket payment processing partner. This marks PayPal’s first individual NFL club partnership. The partnership integrates PayPal into Ticketmaster for seamless season-ticket checkout and makes PayPal the presenting partner of the “Seahawks Gameday Experience Program”.
PayPal is expanding its AI-powered commerce initiatives through agentic commerce, enabling autonomous AI assistants to help consumers identify, evaluate and purchase products more efficiently. To strengthen this effort, the company has partnered with Microsoft through Copilot Checkout, OpenAI via ChatGPT and Perplexity through its Perplexity Pro platform, creating smarter, more secure and scalable shopping experiences for both merchants and customers.
PayPal is also making dollar-backed stablecoin, PayPal USD, available in 70 markets worldwide in the PayPal account. It enables users to send funds globally with faster settlement and lower cost than traditional payment methods.
PayPal’s Venmo Drives Growth
Venmo continues to strengthen its position as a leading digital payments platform among younger and digitally native consumers. As adoption of Venmo for everyday purchases increases, it is becoming a more meaningful contributor to PayPal’s overall revenue mix. In the first quarter of 2026, Venmo’s TPV grew 14% year over year, accelerating from the prior quarter and reaching a new record level. The performance marked the sixth straight quarter of double-digit TPV growth.
The platform also continues to expand its scale, with more than 100 million active accounts. In March 2026, Venmo announced its largest expansion since launch, enabling global peer-to-peer payments through PayPal’s network. Venmo users can now send and receive money with hundreds of millions of PayPal customers across 90 markets, significantly broadening the platform's international reach and addressable market.
PayPal Shares Trading Cheap
However, with the decline, PayPal shares are trading cheaply, as suggested by the Value Score of A. In terms of forward 12-month P/E, PYPL stock is trading at 7.48X compared with the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry’s 16.72X.
The stock is also cheaper than competitors, including Visa and Mastercard. Shares of Visa and Mastercard are currently trading at P/E ratios of 22.32X and 23.21X, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PYPL’s Estimate Revision Remains Unchanged
For full-year 2026, PayPal’s estimate revision remains unchanged. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PYPL’s 2026 earnings per share is pegged at $5.30 over the past two months.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How to Play the PYPL Stock?
PayPal's strategic partnerships, transformation initiatives and Venmo expansion provide solid grounds for optimism in its recovery path. The stock trades at a significant discount compared to its industry multiples and competitors such as Visa and Mastercard, presenting a compelling entry opportunity into this global payment leader.
However, short-term challenges like macroeconomic uncertainty and rising competition, along with weaker 2026 guidance, remain concerns. PYPL’s strong fundamentals and growth initiatives support patience. Therefore, it is better to wait before adding this stock to the portfolio, while long term investors who already have it, should hold.
PayPal currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

PayPal Plunges 8.6% in 3 Months: Time to Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?

Key Points
SpaceX is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq on Friday at an initial market value of about $1.77 trillion.
The market's biggest IPOs have usually popped on day one, but most later traded below their offer prices.
Lockup expirations have been a recurring source of pressure on newly public stocks.
SpaceX is set to make stock market history. The rocket maker turned satellite internet and artificial intelligence (AI) conglomerate is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, June 12, after selling about 555.6 million shares at a fixed price of $135 apiece. It will trade under the ticker SPCX. The $75 billion raise would be the largest from any initial public offering (IPO) ever -- more than double the $29.4 billion record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019. And it gives the company an initial market value of about $1.77 trillion, instantly one of the most valuable companies in the world.
Anticipation among everyday investors seems just as outsized. SpaceX's prospectus names several retail brokerage platforms that will make shares available at the offer price, an unusual arrangement at this scale. Everyone else who wants in on Friday will pay whatever price the market sets at the open.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
So, what does history say about buying a debut of this magnitude on day one? Here are three lessons from the market's biggest IPOs.
1. The first-day pop mostly rewards offer-price buyers
Big IPOs usually rise on their first day. But the headline gain is measured from the offer price, not from the price most investors can actually get. When Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba went public in 2014, its shares were priced at $68 and opened at $92.70 before closing at $93.89 -- a 38% first-day gain. That pop, however, went almost entirely to investors who received shares in the offering. Anyone who bought at the opening trade earned barely more than 1% by the close.
It can be worse. Visa priced its 2008 IPO at $44 and closed its first session 28% higher at $56.50. But the stock opened at $59.50, meaning investors who bought at the opening trade finished their first day down about 5%.
2. Patient buyers have usually been offered a better price
Here's the part of IPO history that gets less attention: each of the market's most celebrated debuts eventually traded below not just its first-day close but its offer price.
Meta Platforms, then known as Facebook, closed its first day in 2012 at $38.23, nearly flat against a $38 offer price. The stock then needed more than a year to climb back above that level. Alibaba slid below $68 less than a year after its debut. Even Visa, one of the market's great long-term winners, dipped below $44 by January 2009.
Chip designer Arm Holdings offers the most recent example. After pricing its 2023 IPO at $51 and closing its first day about 25% higher at $63.59, the stock was back at $51 within a week. Notably, that didn't make Arm a poor investment. Shares more than doubled from the offer price within their first year on the market. The lesson isn't that the biggest IPOs are doomed -- it's that investors who waited have usually been able to buy at or below the first day's price.
3. Lockup expirations are a known pressure point
Only about 4% of SpaceX's shares are being sold in the offering. The rest are largely held by insiders and early investors who are restricted from selling for now. And history shows what can happen when those restrictions lapse.
Meta's first lockup expiration in August 2012 freed about 271 million shares for sale, and the stock fell to about half its offer price around the event. SpaceX's prospectus lays out a staggered schedule of its own, with insider shares becoming eligible for sale in tranches tied to its first quarterly reports as a public company -- and CEO Elon Musk can't sell for a full year. As that new supply reaches the market, trading could remain volatile well beyond Friday.
What the playbook means for SpaceX (and interested investors)
None of this answers whether SpaceX deserves its price tag. That's maybe even a tougher debate than the one around which direction the stock will trade after the IPO. The company's revenue grew 33% year over year in 2025 to $18.7 billion, led by its Starlink-driven connectivity business, which generated $11.4 billion of that total and counted 10.3 million subscribers at the end of March. But the company also posted a $4.9 billion net loss last year, driven largely by its AI segment following the February acquisition of xAI. And at $135 per share, the stock is valued at about 95 times its 2025 revenue.
In my opinion, SpaceX looks overvalued.
Ultimately, Friday's headline numbers may say more about who got shares at $135 than about where the stock is headed. And investors who like the business may get chances to buy at better prices as lockups expire and early volatility plays out. So, for investors drawn to SpaceX, that may be the most useful takeaway of all: the decision doesn't have to be made in full at Friday's opening bell.
Should you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies right now?
Before you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Space Exploration Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $442,220!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,230,114!*
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Daniel Sparks and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group and Arm Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

SpaceX Is Set to Start Trading Friday in What Could Be the Biggest IPO in History. Here's What Market History Says About Buying Day 1.

Mastercard Incorporated MA is expanding its push into AI-powered commerce with the launch of Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a payment service designed to support transactions executed by AI agents and machines. More than 30 industry participants are supporting the adoption of the platform. Designed for the emerging machine-to-machine economy, the service enables AI agents to securely execute automated transactions and interact with other services on behalf of businesses.
AP4M builds on Mastercard's Agent Pay program launched in 2025. The platform credentials AI agents through a new Verifiable Intent framework, enforces spending controls and authorization rules, and supports settlement through cards, bank accounts and stablecoins. To enhance transparency, human-granted permissions for AI agents will initially be recorded on the Polygon blockchain.
Mastercard envisions a future where AI agents buy and sell services on behalf of businesses, transacting continuously at machine speed. These agents could execute chains of transactions, including microtransactions worth fractions of a cent. AI agents are evolving beyond decision-support tools and can increasingly coordinate services and complete transactions automatically. As payments become more embedded and automated, infrastructure capable of handling large volumes of low-value transactions will become increasingly important.
The launch underscores Mastercard's efforts to prepare its network for growing automated payment activity. By enabling transactions across multiple payment rails, the company is positioning itself to capitalize on the increasing adoption of AI-powered commerce and machine-driven transactions. As AI-driven transactions increase, the platform could help Mastercard expand the reach of its network into new payment flows.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of MA’s competitors in the payments space like Visa Inc. V and PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL are also advancing their AI-commerce capabilities.
Visa recently expanded its Visa Intelligent Commerce initiative, enabling AI agents to securely shop and complete purchases on behalf of consumers using tokenized credentials, spending controls and authentication tools. Visa has also partnered with OpenAI to integrate Visa's payment capabilities into ChatGPT-powered shopping experiences.
PayPal launched Agentic Commerce Services, a suite of agent-enabled payment, catalog and order-management tools that enables AI agents to discover products, facilitate checkout and complete purchases across merchant networks. The offering is designed to help merchants participate in AI-driven shopping experiences while leveraging PayPal's payment infrastructure.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, MA’s shares have lost 17% compared with the industry’s decline of 26.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.34, above the industry average of 15.91. MA carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 15.2% growth from the year-ago period’s level.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Can the Launch of AP4M Strengthen MA's Position in AI-Powered Commerce?

Visa Inc. V is reinforcing its position at the center of the evolving payments landscape through a series of artificial intelligence, stablecoin and tokenization initiatives unveiled at its Payments Forum 2026. It announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to enable secure Visa payments within AI-powered commerce experiences. As AI agents increasingly assist consumers with purchasing decisions and transaction execution, V is working to ensure its network remains embedded in the next generation of commerce flows.
The OpenAI partnership strengthens Visa’s Intelligent Commerce platform by combining the company’s payment network, tokenization technology and security capabilities with OpenAI. It is designed to allow AI agents to initiate transactions while operating within user-defined controls such as spending limits, merchant restrictions and approval requirements. If adoption accelerates, the collaboration could create new transaction opportunities for V while reinforcing trust and security in AI-driven commerce.
V is also expanding the infrastructure supporting this emerging ecosystem. New offerings such as Agent Score, Agentic Directory and the Large Transaction Model are designed to improve merchant readiness, establish trusted participants and enhance fraud detection. It is also enriching its token technology with additional identity and behavioral signals, enabling smarter authorization decisions while reducing friction and false declines. These capabilities further differentiate Visa’s network as commerce becomes increasingly digital and automated.
Beyond AI, V continues to advance its stablecoin strategy through expanded settlement programs, tokenized deposits and stablecoin-linked card initiatives. By investing simultaneously in AI-driven commerce and next-generation settlement infrastructure, Visa appears to be widening its competitive moat and creating additional avenues for long-term transaction and revenue growth.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the fintech space include Mastercard Incorporated MA and PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL.
Mastercard recently expanded its Agent Pay strategy with the launch of Agent Pay for Machines, a platform designed for machine-to-machine and AI-agent payments. The solution enables autonomous agents to execute, authorize and settle transactions at machine speed, positioning Mastercard to support emerging AI-driven business models and automated commerce ecosystems.
PayPal is investing in agentic commerce through its Agentic Commerce Services, which includes Agent Ready and Store Sync. These capabilities allow AI-powered assistants to support product discovery and purchase decisions. The effort leverages PayPal's extensive merchant and wallet ecosystem, potentially creating new opportunities to drive payment volume and user engagement.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 13% compared with the industry’s 26.7% fall.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22.60, above the industry average of 15.91. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 14.1% jump from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Visa stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Will Visa's Latest Innovations Deepen Its Competitive Moat?

Key Points
SpaceX will be the largest IPO on record. The company priced its stock at $135 per share, which brings its initial market capitalization to $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX's vertical integration is unique. No other company brings together the launch, connectivity, and compute technologies needed for orbital AI data centers.
Historically, large IPO stocks have often declined during their first year on the market, and their long-term returns have frequently lagged the S&P 500.
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) have declined modestly this week as Wall Street prepares for the SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) IPO on Friday, June 12. The event will be historic for multiple reasons: The company will raise a record $75 billion at an unprecedented valuation of $1.77 trillion, making it the largest IPO of all time.
Investment banks involved in the deal report strong demand for SpaceX stock, priced at $135 per share and trading under the ticker SPCX. In fact, the IPO is four times oversubscribed, meaning demand exceeds the number of shares available by a factor of four, according to Reuters.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Should you buy the SpaceX IPO? In the last decade, the average IPO stock gained 25% on the first trading day, but large IPOs have historically dropped sharply during the first year. Here's what you should know.
SpaceX is uniquely positioned to build and deploy orbital AI data centers
SpaceX (short for Space Exploration Technologies) breaks its business into three operating segments: space, connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI).
1. Space
SpaceX has revolutionized space travel. In 2015, the Falcon 9 -- the world's first orbital-class rapidly reusable rocket -- successfully landed on Earth after being launched into space. No other company replicated that feat until Blue Origin in 2025. SpaceX aims to further cement its lead with the Starship system.
Starship will be the first fully and rapidly reusable spacecraft. It comprises a reusable first stage (Super Heavy booster) and second stage (the spacecraft), both engineered to return to the launch tower after flight, where they are caught in mid-air by mechanical arms. The company says Starship will reduce launch costs by 99% versus the historical average.
2. Connectivity
SpaceX could revolutionize the internet and mobile industries with Starlink, a constellation of about 10,000 broadband satellites that currently serves about 12 million subscribers. Starlink is already the largest satellite internet service, but it could eventually dominate the broader communications industry.
CEO Elon Musk says the Starlink constellation will ultimately expand tenfold to include more than 100,000 satellites. "If growth continues, Starlink will one day carry the majority of internet traffic. At that point, it is the internet and everything just connects to Starlink."
3. Artificial intelligence
SpaceX recently merged with xAI, an artificial intelligence research lab. The registration statement (Form S-1) states: "We own and operate what we believe to be the largest AI training data center clusters on Earth, including Colossus I and Colossus II." xAI also develops Grok frontier models and enterprise AI applications.
The company recently signed two big deals. It will provide compute capacity to Anthropic for $1.25 billion per month, and it will provide compute capacity to Alphabet's Google for $920 million per month. Those deals are worth $26 billion per year, which represents a material acceleration from the $3.2 billion in sales xAI reported in 2025.
Here's the big picture: SpaceX is unique in its vertical integration. No other company brings together the launch capacity, connectivity technology, and AI infrastructure needed to build and run orbital data centers. Musk believes orbital data centers (i.e., powered by the sun and cooled by space) will solve the energy constraints of terrestrial data centers.
Collectively, SpaceX estimates its total addressable market at $28.5 trillion. That figure includes $370 billion from space mission and launch services, $1.6 trillion from Starlink broadband and mobile services, and $26.5 trillion from AI infrastructure and applications.
History says SpaceX's stock will drop sharply during its first year on the public market
SpaceX will be the largest IPO on record, with an initial market capitalization of $1.77 trillion. That alone is not an issue, but it implies an absurdly expensive valuation. The company reported $19.3 billion in revenue in the past year, bringing its price-to-sales (P/S) ratio to 92.
For context, Palantir Technologies is the most expensive stock in the S&P 500 at 63 times sales. But SpaceX is going public at a valuation 46% higher, leaving plenty of downside risk, especially since large IPOs have historically declined in their first year on the market.
The chart below shows how the 10 largest U.S. IPO stocks (by market value at the IPO price) performed during their first year on the market.
10 Largest U.S. IPO Stocks
1-Year Return Post-IPO
Meta Platforms
(22%)
Uber Technologies
(25%)
Venture Global
(60%)
United Parcel Service
11%
Coupang
(45%)
Mondelez International
(8%)
Coinbase Global
(34%)
General Motors
(31%)
Visa
13%
Kenvue
(12%)
Average
(21%)
Data source: Barron's, YCharts. The chart shows how the top 10 U.S. IPO stocks performed during their first year on the public market.
As shown above, the 10 largest U.S. IPO stocks declined by an average of 21% during their first year. That may surprise readers, as IPO stocks (especially highly anticipated ones like SpaceX) frequently skyrocket on the first trading day. But they often give back those gains and then some.
More importantly, disappointing post-IPO returns are not limited to a single year for companies that go public with large market caps. The 10 largest U.S. IPO stocks (shown in the chart above) have underperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 99 percentage points since listing shares.
So, should you buy the SpaceX IPO? My answer is no. History suggests the stock could drop sharply in its first year and may underperform the S&P 500 in the long run. That doesn't mean you should forget about SpaceX. Instead, be patient and wait for more attractive buying opportunities.
Should you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies right now?
Before you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Space Exploration Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $439,038!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,277,804!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 942% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 11, 2026.
Trevor Jennewine has positions in Palantir Technologies and Visa. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Kenvue, Meta Platforms, Palantir Technologies, Uber Technologies, United Parcel Service, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Coinbase Global, Coupang, and General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Should You Buy the SpaceX IPO? History Says the Stock Will Make a Big Move in the First Year.

Key Points
Solana outperformed Bitcoin over the last three years and looks set to do so again.
Smaller cryptocurrencies carry more risk, but also have greater growth potential.
Mainstream crypto adoption helps Solana more than Bitcoin.
When cryptocurrencies first really took off in 2020 and 2021, the hunt was on for the next cryptocurrency to explode. The frenzy faded, and only a few well-known altcoins have outperformed Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) in the past three years. Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) is one of them, increasing by over 250% while Bitcoin has gained almost 140%.
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No cryptocurrency can be categorized as a safe investment, but Bitcoin, by far the largest, is likely the safest. This crypto bellwether has attracted a large share of institutional crypto investment, making it less volatile, as the chart shows. The flip side of that relative safety is that Bitcoin doesn't have the same growth potential as smaller cryptos.
Lesser-known cryptocurrencies can surge dramatically in a short time. The difficulty is that those surges are often fueled by unpredictable speculation. Plus, less-established cryptos are rarely able to sustain their gains or recover after the inevitable slumps.
This tendency brings me back to Solana, which has repeatedly erased losses and keeps getting stronger.
Why Solana will outperform Bitcoin
Many cryptocurrencies are under pressure right now. As of June 10, Bitcoin has fallen 10% to $61,658 in the past three months, while Solana dropped 24% to $65. Inflation and geopolitical uncertainty have both weighed on prices, alongside other factors. When inflation is high, the Federal Reserve is more likely to increase interest rates, which makes riskier assets like crypto less attractive.
High inflation won't last forever, and in the long term, crypto fundamentals are improving. Not only is crypto better positioned than ever for mainstream financial use, but the blockchain has potential as a payment method for artificial intelligence (AI) agents. Solana could take more market share than Bitcoin in both areas.
Mainstream integration has been discussed for years but never quite materialized. That's a source of frustration for some, but it isn't surprising. Changing financial systems won't happen overnight, and it shouldn't. Blockchain technology offers benefits, such as fast settlement and low-cost transactions, but it also carries risks.
Regulatory and infrastructure shifts mean that established financial institutions and payment providers are increasingly adopting blockchain technology. Both Visa and Mastercard are already exploring stablecoin products, and research from The Motley Fool shows that big banks are also integrating stablecoins.
Stablecoins and other aspects of financial integration rely on smart contracts, which are tiny pieces of blockchain code that allow developers to build programs. Smart contracts were built into Solana from the start, but they are more of an add-on for Bitcoin, which has to use additional blockchains, known as Layer-2s, to enable them. That's why institutions are already choosing Solana for stablecoin settlement over Bitcoin's Layer-2s.
Similarly, Solana is already gaining ground with AI agents -- autonomous programs that use AI to make and execute decisions. AI agents can't open bank accounts, but they can spend money, and blockchains, with accessible, transparent, round-the-clock operations, are an ideal way to do so. They could process millions of microtransactions a day, which is where Solana's super-low transaction fees give it the upper hand.
Solana has more room to grow
Solana and Bitcoin have different roles in a diversified crypto portfolio. Bitcoin is safer and is likely to remain dominant for many years. Solana is faster and more adaptable, making it better suited for mainstream integration and AI agent usage. With a market cap that's 3% of Bitcoin's, it could seriously outperform the crypto king over the next three years.
Should you buy stock in Solana right now?
Before you buy stock in Solana, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Solana wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $439,038!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,277,804!*
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Emma Newbery has positions in Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Mastercard, Solana, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Prediction: Solana Will Outperform Bitcoin Over the Next 3 Years

(RTTNews) - A U.S. district judge has given the green light for a proposed $38 billion settlement tied to Visa Inc. (V) and Mastercard Incorporated( MA), stemming from a long-standing antitrust lawsuit filed by over 12 million merchants concerning credit card processing fees.
This decision is a key step in a legal saga that dates back to 2005, though it still needs final approval from the court. This case revolves around interchange fees often called swipe fees that merchants incur whenever customers use credit cards.
Merchants claimed that Visa and Mastercard charged exorbitant fees and enforced rules that hindered competition. Reports indicate that in 2025, merchants shelled out nearly $119 billion in swipe fees just to process card transactions.
As part of the proposed deal, Visa and Mastercard would cut interchange fees by 0.1 percentage point for five years. Plus, consumer card fees would be limited to 1.25% for eight years, whereas in 2024, merchants faced an average processing fee of 2.35%. The settlement would also do away with the requirement to "honor all cards," enabling merchants to turn down specific high-cost premium and rewards cards.
Additionally, businesses would have more leeway to impose surcharges on customers who use higher-fee cards or to offer discounts for cheaper payment options. While these changes could lead to lower processing expenses for merchants, it's still uncertain if consumers will benefit from lower prices.
Some industry groups, like the National Retail Federation, are pushing back against the settlement, arguing that it doesn't tackle the larger payment network framework that impacts merchant costs. The case still needs more court scrutiny before any of the settlement terms can kick in.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Visa And Mastercard Win Preliminary Approval For Merchant Fee Settlement

Mastercard Incorporated MA is strengthening its presence in Latin America’s fast-evolving digital payments landscape through its partnership in the launch of Mi Clip, a new digital wallet ecosystem introduced by Mexican fintech Clip. The initiative combines Clip’s merchant network, Ant International’s AI-powered technology, Mastercard’s global payment infrastructure and Televisa-Univision’s extensive media reach. The collaboration aims to accelerate digital payment adoption in Mexico, where cash continues to dominate everyday transactions despite growing financial digitization.
Mi Clip is designed to offer consumers and merchants access to digital accounts, payment services and credit solutions through a single platform. The wallet seeks to address financial inclusion challenges in Mexico, where a significant portion of adults remain outside the formal banking system. By enabling secure digital transactions and helping users establish a financial identity, the platform could encourage greater participation in the country’s digital economy while supporting small businesses that have traditionally relied on cash.
For MA, the partnership reinforces its strategy of expanding payment acceptance and interoperability across emerging markets. Through its global network spanning more than 200 countries and territories, Mastercard will provide the infrastructure needed for secure domestic and cross-border transactions. As Mi Clip scales, MA could benefit from higher payment volumes, broader merchant acceptance and deeper engagement with consumers transitioning from cash-based transactions to digital payment methods.
The partnership also reflects Mastercard’s role as a foundational infrastructure provider, enabling fintech-led innovations while extending the reach of digital payment solutions across diverse customer segments.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of MA’s competitors in the payments space include Visa Inc. V and American Express Company AXP.
Visa is expanding its role in digital wallet infrastructure through partnerships that help financial institutions launch wallet-linked payment solutions. Recently, Visa teamed up with OpenWay to enable banks, fintechs and processors across the Asia Pacific to roll out new digital payment offerings faster and with greater flexibility.
American Express continues to strengthen its digital payments ecosystem through broader wallet integrations and merchant acceptance initiatives. In March 2026, the company enabled Bradesco-issued American Express cards on Samsung Wallet in Brazil, enhancing payment convenience and strengthening its presence in digital commerce.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, MA’s shares have declined 16.2% compared with the industry’s fall of 27%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 23.65, above the industry average of 15.91. MA carries a Value Score of C.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 15.2% growth from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
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Can Mastercard Benefit From the Launch of Mi Clip Wallet?

Visa Inc. V is expanding its role in the digital payments ecosystem through a new collaboration with OpenWay. The partnership is designed to help banks, processors and fintechs across the Asia Pacific introduce new payment offerings more efficiently by leveraging OpenWay’s Way4 platform. As financial institutions face increasing pressure to modernize customer experiences, the collaboration aims to reduce implementation complexity and speed up the rollout of innovative payment products.
The initiative allows selected Visa payment capabilities to be integrated more quickly into OpenWay’s Way4 platform through earlier alignment on product requirements and implementation frameworks. By streamlining deployment processes, the collaboration can help financial institutions shorten development cycles and bring new services to market faster.
Way4 serves as a unified platform supporting card issuance, digital wallets, merchant acquiring, real-time payments and other financial services. Its ability to operate across on-premise, cloud, SaaS and hybrid environments provides institutions with deployment flexibility while maintaining operational reliability. The platform’s broad functionality makes it a useful foundation for banks seeking to expand digital payment capabilities and adapt to evolving customer expectations.
For V, the collaboration strengthens its strategy of embedding its payment technologies deeper into the financial services ecosystem. The framework already supports initiatives such as Visa Flexible Credential and Visa Fleet 2.0, with additional Visa solutions expected to be added over time. While the announcement may not immediately impact financial results, it reinforces Visa’s long-term efforts to drive payment innovation and expand the reach of its network across global markets.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Incorporated MA and PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL.
Mastercard continues to expand its payment infrastructure through partnerships that connect banks, fintechs and merchants to its network. MA is investing heavily in open banking, real-time payments and cross-border capabilities, helping financial institutions launch digital payment solutions faster and reach customers more efficiently.
PayPal remains focused on broadening its payment ecosystem through wallet innovations, merchant services and seamless checkout solutions. PYPL is integrating new technologies and partnerships to support faster digital transactions, improve customer engagement and help businesses adapt to evolving payment preferences globally.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 12.3% compared with the industry’s 27.9% fall.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22.76, above the industry average of 15.65. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 14.1% jump from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Visa stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Can Visa Accelerate Payment Innovation Through OpenWay Tie-up?

Key Points
The stocks listed here have excellent financials and possess terrific growth opportunities.
They also pay dividends, which can help boost your returns.
If you're a new investor who's just getting started with investing, it can seem overwhelming trying to determine which stocks to buy. You may be tempted to go with what's hot right now and focus on the latest trends, but that can be risky. Meanwhile, being too conservative and avoiding risk entirely could result in limited returns and may not seem all that worthwhile.
Three stocks that I think can be ideal ones to build up a portfolio around are Visa (NYSE: V), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT). With this mix of stocks, you'll get three reasonably valued investments that have strong fundamentals and that also pay dividends. Here's a closer look at each one of them.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Visa
Credit card giant Visa is a no-brainer for long-term investors given its important role in the economy. Its credit cards are accepted worldwide and are used not only by people who may be short of cash, but also by those who want to collect points and benefit from rewards, as well as those who simply prefer not to use cash.
The business is robust and serves a wide range of customers with varying needs. This is also a highly profitable business, with Visa reporting $22 billion in profit over the trailing 12 months, on revenue totaling $43 billion. That translates into an impressive profit margin of 51%.
Visa's business isn't going anywhere, and with strong financials, it can be an excellent investment to build your portfolio around. It offers a modest dividend that yields 0.8%, which can pad your returns. It trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of just under 28, which isn't terribly cheap but is arguably fair given the growth it continues to generate.
Home Depot
Another solid business that provides consumers with necessary products and services is Home Depot, an iconic home improvement retailer. This is a store that many people frequent when they're taking on renovations and other projects around the house. It's helpful to not only get the tools you need to do the job, but also to get advice and suggestions on how to go about doing so.
While the retailer has been facing challenges in recent years due to a slowdown in the housing market, its future remains bright given the strong position it has in retail. It also generates some strong margins, with its profits totaling $14 billion over the past four quarters on revenue of $167 billion, which means its profit margin is about 8%. Although that's nowhere near the profitability that Visa generates, it's a solid rate nonetheless.
At 3%, you're also getting a terrific dividend yield from Home Depot stock that's close to three times the S&P 500 average of just over 1%. Home Depot has also been increasing its dividend over the years, giving investors an incentive to simply buy and hold. The retail stock currently trades at 22 times earnings.
Abbott Laboratories
Rounding out this list is a top healthcare company, Abbott Laboratories. The business generates revenue from multiple segments, including diagnostics, medical devices, nutrition, and established pharmaceuticals, with each one on its own bringing in billions of revenue each quarter. That diversification can help provide you with a solid, all-around healthcare stock.
In the trailing 12 months, Abbott has generated $45 billion in sales with profits totaling about $6.3 billion, which means its net margin is approximately 14%. With many ways to grow its business, it can be a valuable stock to hold given its varying growth opportunities and potential. The company recently acquired Exact Sciences, which develops products that can help with cancer screening and testing.
One of the main reasons investors buy shares of Abbott Laboratories is for its dividend, which currently yields 2.8%. Abbott is also a Dividend King, having raised its payout consistently for more than 50 consecutive years. It's a great buy-and-hold investment that you can simply hang on to and forget about. Its P/E ratio currently sits at 25, which is in line with the S&P 500 average.
Should you buy stock in Home Depot right now?
Before you buy stock in Home Depot, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Home Depot wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $445,672!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,280,566!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 948% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2026.
David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Abbott Laboratories, Home Depot, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.