Investors Heavily Search Visa Inc. (V): Here is What You Need to Know

Visa (V) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.Over the past month, shares of this global payments processor have returned -1%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -4.5% change. During this period, the Zacks Financial Transaction Services industry, which Visa falls in, has gained 0.2%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.Earnings Estimate RevisionsHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.For the current quarter, Visa is expected to post earnings of $2.57 per share, indicating a change of +10.3% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.5% over the last 30 days.The consensus earnings estimate of $9.91 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +13%. This estimate has changed -0.3% over the last 30 days.For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.08 indicates a change of +11.8% from what Visa is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Visa is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:12 Month EPSRevenue Growth ForecastEven though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.For Visa, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $9.49 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +10.2%. For the current and next fiscal years, $35.8 billion and $39.35 billion estimates indicate +9.6% and +9.9% changes, respectively.Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryVisa reported revenues of $8.9 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +9.6%. EPS of $2.42 for the same period compares with $2.16 a year ago.Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.91 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -0.11%. The EPS surprise was +0.41%.The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.Visa is graded D on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Visa. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Zacks' Top 3 Hydrogen StocksDemand for clean hydrogen energy is projected to reach $500 billion by 2030 and grow 5-FOLD by 2050. Want in? Zacks has targeted 3 diversified titans that could lead the way to becoming hydrogen powerhouses.One has crushed the market over the past 25 years – up +2,400% to +380%.Another already has capital commitments of $15 billion for low carbon hydrogen products through 2027 alone.Our third pick soared to 52-week highs in Q4 2023 and has raised its dividend every year for over a decade.See Stocks Now >>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 Visa Inc. (V): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks