Visa Delivers Record Revenue; Crypto ETF Flows Diverge

Visa Inc. ($V) reported Q3 FY2026 results with net revenue reaching $11.63 billion, reflecting a 14% increase driven by strong payments volume and strategic innovations. Earnings per share came in at $3.32, meeting analyst expectations but triggering a 1.4% after-hours share decline on restructuring news and lack of upside surprise. The payment network continues to face rising operating expenses despite robust transaction volume growth.

Mastercard ($MA) launched its new Scam Merchant Monitoring Program, pushing acquiring banks to investigate suspected fraud within strict timelines. The company is expanding stablecoin settlement support through its acquisition of BVNK and deeper banking-as-a-service offerings, aiming to tighten consumer protection while building infrastructure for stablecoin-linked payments.

American Express ($AXP) continues attracting and retaining card members across generations, demonstrating business durability that positions it as a long-term holding under Berkshire Hathaway's succession planning.

Cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds exhibited sharp divergence in flows over the seven days ending July 28. Ethereum ETFs attracted 37,959 ETH, approximately $71.17 million, marking the third consecutive week of net inflows according to Lookonchain data using CoinGlass information. BlackRock ($BLK) remains a major player in the crypto ETF space amid these shifting flows.

In contrast, Bitcoin ETFs shed 3,170 BTC worth $200.23 million over the same period, highlighting investor preference rotation within digital asset products. The contrasting flows underscore evolving investor sentiment across different cryptocurrency exposures.

BlackRock disclosed ownership of 26.5 million shares in HIMS, representing approximately 12% of the company, as the healthcare stock positions for a potential comeback following a three-week decline.

Bank of America ($BAC) closed Q2 2026 earnings season with analysts comparing performance across diversified banking peers. The bank separately upgraded Honeywell International to Neutral from Underperform, raising its price objective to $265 from $220 following second-quarter results that exceeded expectations.

Goldman Sachs Group ($GS) analysts identified key signals ahead of AbbVie's July 31 earnings release as investor sentiment shifts around the pharmaceutical company's growth drivers. Separately, a former Goldman banker went on trial for allegedly paying bribes to government officials in Ghana to secure a power plant deal for a client.

JPMorgan ($JPM) contributed to analyst commentary on M&G, with price targets clustering in a tight range as research firms fine-tune valuation assumptions rather than calling for significant rerating.

Charles Schwab ($SCHW) has traded flat at $103.82 over the past six months, underperforming the S&P 500's 6.3% gain during that period.

CME Group ($CME) saw its fair value estimate trimmed from $289.00 to approximately $282.36, a reduction of roughly 2.3% reflecting updated model assumptions. The exchange operator is launching single-stock futures allowing investors to hedge or speculate on more than 50 of the largest US companies, with contracts offering leverage without options complexity and cash settlement based on closing stock prices.

Analysts remain split on $CME, with some research pointing to strong earnings and product moats while others highlight competitive threats and softer volume assumptions. The FIA CEO discussed prediction market expansion as Kalshi and Polymarket begin offering perpetual futures trading with CFTC approval, calling prediction market disruption beneficial for building regulatory best practices.