Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline Friday, January 15, 2021

Article Excerpt

VISA INC., $201.59, New York symbol V, remains a buy. The company processes credit, debit, prepaid and commercial transactions through its electronic payment networks. In January 2020, Visa agreed to acquire Plaid Inc. That privately held firm provides software that helps consumers securely link their banking accounts to a wide variety of mobile payment applications. The $5.3 billion price is equal to 1% of Visa’s $444.4 billion market cap (the total value of all outstanding shares). However, the U.S. Department of Justice has objected to the deal over concerns the purchase would give Visa a substantial share of the online debit-card market. As a result, Visa and Plaid have cancelled their merger. Meantime, Visa continues to hold the minority stake in Plaid it acquired before the takeover deal. It’s also possible the two companies could form a partnership to cross-sell each other’s services. Visa is a buy. Visa recent coverage: January 2021 issue Hotline for October 30, 2020 AMERICAN EXPRESS CO., $122.15, New York symbol AXP,…