Ackman Doubles Down on Fintech Giants with $2.1B Bet

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management has made significant investments in several major players in the fintech industry, including Visa and Mastercard. According to a recent filing, Pershing Square now owns $1.12 billion worth of Visa stock, representing 5.4% of its portfolio.

This is not the only new addition to Ackman's portfolio. The firm has also initiated positions in Mastercard, S&P Global, and other companies within the financial infrastructure space. These investments total more than $3 billion combined, suggesting a deliberate view on where payments and financial data businesses are headed.

The timing of these investments is notable, given Visa's strong performance in its fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings call. The company reported a 14% year-over-year increase in net revenue to $11.6 billion, with quarterly payments volume growing 10% year over year to cross $4 trillion for the first time in its history.

Visa CEO Ryan McInerney attributes this success to the company's diversification of revenue streams, including a 34% increase in revenue from value-added services such as fraud prevention and data analytics. Ackman's investment in Visa also aligns with the company's push into new technology, including partnerships with OpenAI and Meta.

Analysts forecast Visa to increase revenue from $40 billion in fiscal 2025 to $67.6 billion in fiscal 2030, with free cash flow projected to expand from $21.6 billion to $39 billion over the same period. If Visa stock trades at a lower multiple, it could return around 15% over the next three years.