Visa and Mastercard Earnings Comparison
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 02 2026
0mins
Source: Fool
- Visa's Strong Earnings: Visa reported a 15% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1 2026, with diluted earnings per share (EPS) increasing by 17%, reflecting its robust performance and profitability in the global payments market.
- Mastercard's Superior Performance: Mastercard's revenue surged by 18% in Q4 2025, with diluted EPS soaring 24%, indicating a rapid enhancement in its market share and profitability.
- Market Share Potential: Given Mastercard's smaller business size, it has greater growth potential; if its market share approaches that of Visa, its revenue and earnings are positioned to expand at a faster rate, enhancing its investment appeal.
- Valuation Analysis: Although Visa and Mastercard trade at price-to-earnings ratios of 32.8 and 34.8 respectively, and these multiples have decreased recently, they still do not provide a sufficient margin of safety, necessitating cautious evaluation of their investment value.
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Analyst Views on MA
Wall Street analysts forecast MA stock price to rise
28 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 497.080
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
Current: 497.080
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
About MA
Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company in the global payments industry. The Company connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses and other organizations worldwide by enabling electronic payments and making those payment transactions secure and accessible. It provides a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, including Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus. It operates a payments network that provides choice and flexibility for consumers, merchants and its customers. Through its proprietary global payments network, it switches (authorizes, clears and settles) payment transactions. Its additional payments capabilities include automated clearing house (ACH) transactions (both batch and real-time account-based payments). It offers security solutions, consumer acquisition and engagement, business and market insights, gateway, processing and open banking, among other services and solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Broad Scope of Inquiry: The FCA stated in its brief that no conclusions or findings have been made regarding potential violations of competition law, suggesting that the investigation is still in its early stages and could have significant implications for the operational models of the involved companies.
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- Increased Regulatory Oversight: This investigation reflects a growing trend of intensified regulatory scrutiny in the fintech sector by UK authorities, which may prompt similar actions from regulators in other countries to uphold market competition and protect consumer rights.
See More
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Regulatory Concerns: Authorities are scrutinizing whether the companies' actions have led to anti-competitive behavior that could harm consumers and businesses.
Potential Outcomes: The probe could result in significant changes to how MasterCard and Visa operate, potentially leading to fines or changes in their business practices.
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See More
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See More
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See More
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- Volume Growth: On a currency-neutral basis, total payment volumes increased 8% year-over-year to approximately $464 billion, indicating sustained appeal in the digital payments sector, particularly in the higher-margin online branded checkout segment.
- New CEO Strategy: Since taking over in March, new CEO Enrique Lores has announced plans to reorganize the company into three operating units, including a dedicated Venmo division, aiming to enhance competitiveness against Big Tech entrants like Apple and Google.
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