New York, February 25, 2026, 18:44 EST — After-hours
- Visa shares rose in Wednesday’s session, clawing back some of this week’s drop.
- Payments stocks have been swinging with a wider market debate about how fast AI could reshape business models.
- Investors are now looking to early-March conference appearances for fresh signals on spending trends and strategy.
Visa Inc. shares closed up 1.9% at $312.99 on Wednesday, as buyers returned to payments stocks after a sharp selloff earlier in the week. (Visa Investor Relations)
The bounce comes as investors try to sort hype from risk in a fresh round of artificial-intelligence disruption fears that shook markets on Monday. “You’ve seen the market react to headlines, it’s ‘sell first, assess later,’” said Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. (Reuters)
By Wednesday, Wall Street’s tone had steadied. “We’re in the middle of a push-pull here between some negative sentiment and some extreme price action,” Zach Hill, head of portfolio management at Horizon Investments, said as stocks climbed; the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all finished higher. (Reuters)
Visa’s shares fell 4.5% on Monday to $306.52, then edged up on Tuesday before extending gains on Wednesday; the stock is still below its Feb. 20 close of $320.95. Trading volume spiked on Monday as the selloff hit the sector. (StockAnalysis)
The swing has been tied to a so-called “AI scare trade” — a rush to sell companies investors think could face pressure if AI changes how transactions are routed and priced. A Bloomberg report said a bearish note from little-known Citrini Research helped spark Monday’s drop across delivery, payments and software names. (Bloomberg)
The selling was not just about Visa. Mastercard was down 5.8% on Monday while Visa fell 4.5%, the Wall Street Journal reported, as investors weighed the same AI-driven disruption narrative. (The Wall Street Journal)
Fundamentals have not been the immediate driver this week, but they sit in the background. Visa last month topped estimates for fiscal first-quarter profit and revenue on higher card usage during the holiday season, Reuters reported. (Reuters)
Still, downside risks remain. Any renewed push on U.S. card fees or regulation could add pressure, and Visa and Mastercard are also trying to secure court approval for a revised $38 billion swipe-fee settlement with merchants, Reuters has reported. (Swipe fees are charges paid by merchants to accept cards.) (Reuters)
Investors will also listen for what Visa executives say in coming weeks. The company has said Chief Product and Strategy Officer Jack Forestell is due to present on March 3 at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, followed by Commercial & Money Movement Solutions President Chris Newkirk on March 11 at the Wolfe Research FinTech Forum. (Visa Investor Relations)
Before the next session, traders will be watching whether Wednesday’s rebound holds as markets digest the latest AI headlines and reposition around “AI winners” and “AI losers” — a split that has pulled payments names into the crossfire.
