Mastercard, Visa targeted by UK lawsuits from Autogrill, Finestday

Baird raised its price target for Mastercard to $710 from $660, according to a report published on 10/09/2026. The stock was trading at $574.76, up 0.82% on the day and 4.50% year-to-date. The adjustment is based on a weighted average of ratings including valuation, EPS revisions, and visibility.

Mastercard will enforce new rules in Europe starting February 2027, requiring offline payment functionality for all new cards and point-of-sale terminals. This follows a 2025 blackout that disrupted digital transactions. The system allows chip-and-PIN purchases up to €200 during outages, with transaction records forwarded once connectivity is restored. Mastercard has already implemented this in four countries and collaborated with industry partners and regulators.

Visa and Mastercard face a £700 million claim in the UK for allegedly overcharging businesses for remote payments from EEA cardholders. The claim, filed by Ann Pope, represents about 126,000 businesses.

Stablecoin settlement volume grew significantly in September 2026, with $1.2B spent on stablecoin-linked cards. SoFi and Mastercard launched SoFiUSD for card settlements, migrating $25B annualized volume. Visa's stablecoin settlement reached $20B annualized, a 15x increase. Stripe expanded stablecoin card programs to 100+ countries. Solana launched a DvP standard for faster, cheaper settlements.

A San Diego pizzeria filed a class-action lawsuit against Visa, Mastercard, and major banks, alleging they conspired to inflate credit card transaction fees. The suit claims these fees total over $100 billion annually, with merchants unable to negotiate or steer customers to lower-cost options. The plaintiffs seek relief for fees paid since January 2019, despite a previous $5 billion settlement covering earlier periods.

Mastercard's stock rose 1.8% to $561.90 after launching BVNK's Open USD stablecoin for financial institutions and businesses, expanding its payments ecosystem. The company acquired BVNK for up to $1.8 billion in August. Details on balances, fees, and revenue are not yet disclosed. Shares are 18.29% below the GF Value estimate of $687.68.