December 2023 Visa (V) Stock Pick and Talisker Storm Whiskey Review

Website: www.visa.com 

CEO: Ryan M. McInerney

Founder: Dee Hock

Market Cap at Time of Article: $524.7B

Current Analyst Recommendations:

On a scale where 1 is a "strong buy," and 5 is a "sell," the analyst consensus on Visa is currently at 1.8. Of 39 analysts, 35 rate Visa as a “buy” or “strong buy”. Obviously, the DubyaDubya team agrees! With current prices around $255, and an average target price of $277, Visa is a solid addition to any portfolio, especially for those targeting reliability and steady growth.

Quarterly Revenue Growth Year-Over-Year: 10.6% The Dubya Dubya team would love to see a higher number here, but considering the longevity and security of such a large-cap stock, we'll take it—especially since this number has been even better in recent years.

Insiders: With 0.12% insider ownership, the Dubya Dubya team recognizes this is far from our normal threshold—but this is Visa, a large-cap staple, and institutions almost always own companies when they reach this size. This shouldn’t be seen as a dealbreaker. 

Why talk about Visa to all your friends and family? 

Remember the famous tagline? “Visa, it's everywhere you want to be.” Visa got its name because it meant the same thing in many different languages, a permit to enter another country. Of note, Visa does not supply cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers; instead, Visa provides financial institutions with Visa-branded payment products that they then use to offer credit, debit, prepaid and cash access programs to their customers. Basically, Visa is the railway that many of these other companies use to travel.  In general, when most companies do better, Visa does better. This is especially good news as inflation is tapering down and the economic outlook is sunnier.

What makes Visa (V) worth your hard-earned money for the next decade or more? 

Visa is worth your money because they are one of the world's most valuable companies with a track record of steady growth and innovation. Visa is the world's leading payment processing network, handling tens of trillions of payments every year.  On top of being the biggest, they have a price to earnings ratio of 31.6. For reference, the S&P 500 is around 19.6. 

Can you hold Visa for decades? Absolutely, we believe it is a blue chip stock that everyone should consider as part of their portfolio. If the current price scares you, remember to DCA into a position, and that fractional shares are also an option now. The best part about Visa is that the company's large network is the by-product of years of hard work and investment. With much of the network already in place with trusted individuals, vendors, companies, and governments, this means that Visa will continue to reap rewards without needing as much investment into infrastructure. 

How is this company disruptive?

For a company that's been around since 1958, one might find it difficult to classify Visa as a disruptive company. The fact of the matter is that disruption happens because of Visa, not in spite of it. Younger startups like Cashapp, Venmo, Uber, and Doordash all rely on Visa. If that's not enough for you, they have Visa direct which gives access to digital wallets. Additionally, Visa is also active in the blockchain and AI spaces of financial developmen, so you can count on more innovation to come. 

Conclusion:

Visa has been around for decades, but they have proven time and again their ability to read and react to market trends and changes. They have tremendous staying power in a world that is only growing more digital by the day. Their ability to disrupt and innovate combines with their history and stability make this company one that Dubya Dubya can proudly recommend. 

Whiskey Pairing: Talisker Storm Retail: $70 Proof: 92

There is beauty in the storm.

Life is unpredictable. Markets fall, and markets rise. People predict the worst recession ever, and people aren’t as right as they think. Friends beat you in golf, and then you squish them in disc golf. And through all this, the power of a good dram of whiskey remains. As the storm of uncertainty brews around us, let’s knock back a glass and celebrate all we have inside the storm—Talisker Storm.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Like a dragon puffed smoke into your sticky toffee. Sniff the citrus and honey before the brine of the sea washes in.

Palate: Now that sticky toffee is adding some butter and ham. It’s like a generous meal of smoked pork arrives to pair with a favorite dessert.

Finish: Yes, it’s an island scotch, so that is peat lingering on your palate. Mix it with the melted caramel and be glad you are alive and smoky.

Score – 4/5