New York, Jan 26, 2026, 12:51 (ET) — Regular session
- Visa shares showed little movement by midday after the company announced the creation of a new UAE-Kuwait-Qatar region.
- Investors are eyeing Visa’s fiscal Q1 results, set for release Thursday after the close.
- Wednesday’s Fed rate decision has the potential to shift sentiment in financial stocks.
Visa Inc shares barely moved Monday after the payments giant announced a new Gulf region within its Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa division. Executive Fadi Moukaddem was appointed to lead the unit. The stock slipped under 0.1% to $326.15, fluctuating between $325.51 and $329.29. 1
Visa’s fiscal first-quarter results come out Thursday, a crucial moment for investors watching card spending trends post-holidays. The earnings call is set for 5 p.m. EST. 2
Investors are gearing up for the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting set for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Fed’s decision on rates will be announced at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, followed by a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET. Most traders anticipate rates will stay put, though even subtle changes in language could shake up rate-sensitive sectors. 3
Visa announced that the new setup places the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar under a specialized leadership team within CEMEA. Regional president Tareq Muhmood commented, “This evolution brings our leadership and expertise even closer to the clients and partners.” Moukaddem added, “I look forward to working closely with our clients and partners.” 4
On Monday, Abu Dhabi-based AI company Inception announced a partnership with Visa to embed Visa’s “Intelligent Commerce” tools into what they call agentic commerce — software agents that shop and pay on behalf of users. Godfrey Sullivan from Visa emphasized that “trust will be the core requirement for these experiences to scale.” 5
Payments stocks showed a mixed picture at midday. Mastercard dipped roughly 0.4%, American Express held steady, while PayPal edged up around 0.4%.
Investors eyeing Visa’s earnings will zero in on payment volume growth and cross-border activity. Cross-border fees, which come from transactions made outside the cardholder’s home country, often drive profits and fluctuate with travel trends.
Investors will be watching closely for any updates on expenses, along with remarks on pricing, merchant incentives, and competitive dynamics in credit and debit. Visa and Mastercard remain the leaders in open-loop networks, but fintech challengers and bank-led payment options continue to push on fees and drive faster innovation cycles.
Legal and regulatory scrutiny over debit routing and card fees remains a key concern. The U.S. Justice Department is moving forward with an antitrust lawsuit targeting Visa’s debit network practices. Even if it’s not grabbing headlines, this issue can still pop up in investor discussions. 6
Visa’s annual shareholder meeting is set for Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. PST. 7
The next major catalysts are just around the corner. The Fed’s Wednesday decision, followed by Visa’s earnings report on Thursday, are poised to shape the stock’s near-term direction.
