New York, Jan 22, 2026, 17:51 EST — After-hours
- Visa shares ended the day up 0.3%, holding steady in after-hours trading
- After a volatile run for card-linked stocks, investors are bracing for Visa’s results due Jan. 29
- Fresh partnerships in crypto payouts and account-to-account transfers highlight growth avenues beyond traditional card payments
Visa Inc shares ended Thursday up 0.33% at $326.36 and held steady in after-hours trading. (StockAnalysis)
The stock’s modest shift masks a larger story: investors are positioning themselves ahead of next week’s earnings and weighing if the recent drop in payments stocks has bottomed out.
Visa is increasingly moving volume onto rails that don’t resemble the traditional card swipe. That shift is significant as regulators and merchants continue to push for more cost-effective payment routes.
Visa plans to release its fiscal first-quarter earnings on Jan. 29 after markets close, followed by a webcast at 5 p.m. Eastern. The company noted it remains in a “quiet period” leading up to the earnings release. (Visa)
On Thursday, a crypto-related development emerged. Payments infrastructure company Mercuryo announced a partnership with Visa to broaden “off-ramping”—the process of turning crypto tokens into fiat currency—through Visa Direct, Visa’s platform for real-time money transfers. (PR Newswire)
Mercuryo CEO Petr Kozyakov said the partnership will simplify converting token balances into cash usable at merchants accepting Visa. Anastasia Serikova, head of Visa Direct in Europe, added the integration aims to make crypto-to-fiat conversion “faster, simpler, and more accessible.” (PR Newswire)
The day before, Visa was tied to a U.K. initiative aimed at boosting account-to-account payments, which transfer funds directly between bank accounts instead of relying on card networks. Payments company Acquired.com revealed the deal would leverage the U.K.’s Faster Payments system for both recurring and variable payments, while Visa supplies the rules and governance. (Pymnts)
Mastercard shares climbed 1% on Thursday, riding the wave of gains in U.S. stocks, while Visa held pace with other major financial players. (MarketWatch)
The macro and political landscape remains in focus. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Bank of America and Citigroup are considering new credit cards with interest rates around 10%, amid discussions over President Donald Trump’s proposal for a nationwide rate cap. This debate continues to spotlight how profits are distributed across the credit-card stack. (Reuters)
Two sessions ago, Reuters noted a drop in U.S. bank stocks as investors held their breath on whether the administration’s deadline for the proposed cap would have an impact, highlighting just how swiftly policy moves can ripple through payments and bank valuations. (Reuters)
Visa’s annual meeting is set for Jan. 27, as noted in its proxy filing. (SEC)
The biggest threat for Visa bulls is straightforward. Should consumer spending dip, travel falter, or lawmakers make headway on routing or fee changes, Visa could still slide despite strong earnings.
Traders will be watching to see if Thursday’s late-session stability carries over into Friday. Looking ahead, all eyes turn to Jan. 27’s annual meeting and the Jan. 29 earnings report and call, when Visa breaks its silence following the quiet period.
