BUZZ - Visa shares slightly decline ahead of quarterly earnings release

October 27 - ** Visa (V.N) shares fell by 1% in afternoon trading, closing at $400.25, and the company is set to announce its quarterly earnings after the market closes

** Visa is expected to report adjusted earnings per share growth of about 15% to $3.44, and revenue increasing by around 13% to $12 billion

** In the past eight quarters, the payment processor’s revenue and adjusted earnings per share have each time beaten analysts’ expectations

** As Europe seeks to reduce reliance on Visa and Mastercard MA.N, European payment groups serving 130 million users—including Spain’s Bizum, Italy’s Bancomat, and Brussels-based Wero—are working together (link) to build a cross-border payment network

**According to data compiled by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the average rating among 43 analysts is “Buy,” with a median target price of $421

**Visa (Visa) is up 14% so far this year, while the S&P 500 Financials Index (.SPSY) has risen about 2% during the same period

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