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Visa (V) Q4 Earnings Beat on Increase in Payment Volumes

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Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2018 (ended Sep 30, 2018) earnings of $1.21 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.83%. Also, the bottom line improved 34% year over year.

Results were driven by growth in payments volume, cross-border volume and processed transactions, and a lower tax rate.

Net operating revenues of $5.43 billion came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate but were up 12% year over year. This upside was primarily driven by an increase in all the components of net revenues such as service, data processing, international transaction revenues and other. An increase in client incentives, which is a contra revenue item acted as a partial dampener to revenue growth.

Visa Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Strong Performance

On a constant dollar basis, payments volume growth for the fiscal fourth quarter improved 1%, year over year to $2.09 trillion. Cross-border volume growth, on a constant dollar basis, was 10%. Visa's processed transactions increased 12% over the prior year to 32.76 billion.

Service revenues increased 10% year over year to $2.32 billion on higher nominal payments volume recognized on payments volume in the prior quarter.

Notably, other revenue components are based on the reported quarter’s activity. Data processing revenues increased 16% on a year-over-year basis to $2.39 billion, while international transaction revenues grew 10% to $1.96 billion. Other revenues increased 13% year over year to $256 million.
Client incentives of $1.50 billion increased 12% year over year.

Adjusted operating expenses increased 12% year over year to $1.81 billion, primarily due to personnel expense. Interest expense increased marginally 1.4% year over year to $150 million.

Exchange rate shifts versus the prior year negatively impacted earnings per share growth by approximately 1% in the fiscal fourth quarter. Exchange rate shifts from the prior year positively impacted earnings per share growth by approximately 1.5%

Balance Sheet Strengthens

Cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investment securities were $11.6 billion as of Sep 30, 2018, down 13.2% from Sep 30, 2017.
Total assets were $69.2 billion as of Sep 30, 2018, up 1.8% year over year.

Share Repurchase and Dividend Update

During the fiscal year, the company repurchased shares worth $7.2 billion. The board of directors increased the company’s quarterly cash dividend by 19% to 25 cents per share.

Business Update

On September 18, 2018, the company, Mastercard and other U.S. financial institution defendants agreed to settle and resolve class claims in the multi-district interchange litigation for approximately $6.2 billion. Visa’s share represents approximately $4.1 billion, which will be satisfied through funds previously deposited with the court plus $600 million that the company deposited into its litigation escrow on Jun 28, 2018.

2019 Guidance

The company projected annual net revenue growth of low double digits on a nominal basis, with approximately 1% of negative foreign currency impact and minimum impact from the new revenue accounting standard. Client incentives as a percentage of gross revenues are projected in the range of 22% and 23%; annual adjusted operating expense is expected to increase in the range of mid-to-high single digit; and the effective tax rate is estimated at 20.0% to 20.5%.

The company expects annual diluted class A common stock earnings per share growth in high teens on a GAAP nominal dollar basis and mid-teens on an adjusted, non-GAAP nominal dollar basis. Both these estimates include approximately 1% of negative foreign currency impact.  

Our Take

Visa remains well positioned for further growth on the back of its solid market position, increase in payment volumes, accretive acquisitions and significant opportunities from its secular shift toward electronic payments.

Zacks Rank

Visa carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Peer Releases

Among the other players in the same space, American Express Co. (AXP - Free Report) , Capital One Financial Corp. (COF - Free Report) and Alliance Data Systems Corp. beat on earnings by 5.62%, 7.96% and 2.04%, respectively, in the July-September 2018 quarter.

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