We scoured the nation to identify the best stock in every state. Visa (symbol V) is the publicly traded company we picked in Alabama. The company headquarters is located in Foster City.
A word of caution: Since we selected a single stock from each state (plus one from D.C), and choices in some states are sparse, a few of our picks are best suited to investors comfortable with a higher degree of risk. This is not necessarily one of our 51 favorite stocks in the entire U.S., in other words.
Visa by the Numbers
- Headquarters: Foster City
- Share price: $93.95
- Market value: $216.6 billion
- Price-earnings ratio: 26
(Prices and data are as of June 22, 2017)
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
It’s hard to keep Visa down for long. The payment processor accounts for about half of credit card transactions worldwide and an even higher percentage of debit card transactions, according to the Nilson Report, a newsletter tracking the payments industry. And there are few real challengers on the horizon.
Companies leading the way in digital payments, such as Apple, Google and PayPal, have chosen to partner with existing payment processors rather than attempt to dethrone them, says Morningstar analyst Jim Sinegal. In recent years, Visa has notched revenue gains despite unfavorable currency conditions, major data breaches and Russian sanctions. For the fiscal year ending in September 2017, Wall Street analysts, on average, project revenues to grow by 18%, thanks to growth in electronic, digital and mobile payments, and a doubling of merchant locations in India. Moshe Orenbuch, an analyst at Credit Suisse, believes earnings per share will rise by 18% over the same period, followed by a 15% boost in the fiscal year that ends in September 2018. He rates the stock a “buy,” with a 12-month price target of $105.
-
How to Navigate Your Medicare Advantage Plan in a DisasterIf you're a Medicare Advantage member in an area that has been impacted by a disaster, you might be worried about access to care and medicine. Here's what you need to know.
-
Older Investors: Boost Your Savings and Retire EarlierThis one measure can help older investors retire up to two years earlier and potentially double their retirement savings.
-
Stocks Are Up and Down on Fed Day: Stock Market TodayIn another sign of changing times, JPMorgan has partnered with Coinbase to enable cryptocurrency purchases with credit cards.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Berkshire Hathaway Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayBerkshire Hathaway is a long-time market beater, but the easy money in BRK.B has already been made.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Procter & Gamble Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayProcter & Gamble stock is a dependable dividend grower, but a disappointing long-term holding.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Dives 769 Points on Iran-Israel ConflictLosses accelerated in afternoon trading amid reports Iran retaliated against Israel.
-
My Three-Day Rule for Investing: And If it Applies NowStock Market I've seen a lot in my career. Here's what I see now in the stock market.
-
Is It Time to Invest in Europe?Stock Market Europe is being shaken out of its lethargy, militarily and otherwise, by Donald Trump's changes in U.S. policy. Should investors start buying?
-
Stock Market Today: Markets Celebrate Trump's Tariff DétenteConsumer discretionary stocks led 10 of the 11 S&P 500 sector groups well into the green.
-
Visa Stock Rises on Strong Earnings, Bullish OutlookVisa stock is up Friday after the payments company beat expectations for its fiscal 2025 first quarter and raised its outlook. Here's what you need to know.
