New York, February 25, 2026, 2:50 PM EST — Regular session
- Visa climbed roughly 2% in afternoon trading, erasing a chunk of Monday’s losses.
- Payments stocks held their ground while Wall Street backed away from the frenzy over a viral AI “doom” scenario.
- Nvidia’s report lands after the bell, and traders are zeroed in—AI sentiment could swing sharply on those numbers.
Visa Inc. shares climbed Wednesday, rebounding from the week’s earlier drop after jitters flared about artificial intelligence potentially overhauling consumer payment systems.
Shares gained 1.8% to $312.85, following an open at $308.55. The day’s range ran from $308.25 to $313.70, with volume reaching roughly 4.4 million by 1:35 p.m. ET, according to Visa’s investor relations site. (Visa Investor Relations)
The rebound is significant—Visa’s fee-based setup anchors the card industry’s profit engine, turning the company into a go-to shorthand whenever talk of alternative payment rails comes up.
Stocks in the U.S. climbed, with investors dialing back from recent, sweeping headlines about AI-driven upheaval. “AI is the dominant theme and what’s moving the market more than anything right now,” Aaron Schaechterle, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, told Reuters. (Reuters)
Visa shares slid nearly 5% on Monday, hit along with other payments stocks after Citrini Research, an independent outfit publishing on Substack, outlined a “scenario, not a prediction” where AI “agents”—software that handles tasks like shopping and payments—could undercut card networks by routing transactions elsewhere and bypassing fees. That’s according to a report from Nasdaq.com. (Nasdaq)
Some strategists flagged that investors might be chasing a narrative rather than fundamentals. “It’s real doomsday porn stuff,” Neil Wilson, analyst at Saxo Capital Markets, told the Guardian. At SPI Asset Management, Stephen Innes pointed out, “a widely circulated Substack thought piece is enough to knock it sideways.” (The Guardian)
The episode dragged Visa’s major listed rivals along for the ride, as investors grouped payment networks and card issuers together—seeing all as vulnerable to potential changes in how transactions are routed and priced.
Even with the bounce, risk remains: long-horizon narratives can quickly overshadow short-term fundamentals, particularly in a market skittish about AI budgets, regulation, and unpredictable consumer moves. Should the “agents bypass the middlemen” angle gain traction, traders say pressure could snap back in a hurry.
Monday’s broad market slide got an extra push from trade-policy jitters and AI worries. “You’ve seen the market react to headlines, it’s ‘sell first, assess later,’” U.S. Bank Wealth Management’s Tom Hainlin told Reuters. Eyes have now turned to Nvidia, whose results come out after Wednesday’s close—investors are treating those as the next potential spark for the market. (Reuters)
