The credit crisis that has been haunting the stock market for months wasn't enough to scare investors away from the IPO of the world's largest credit card processor.
Overcoming the jitters that have battered many of the lenders that issue its cards, Visa Inc. sold 406 million shares at $44 apiece late last night to raise nearly $18 billion and complete the most lucrative initial public offering in U.S. history.
The price topped the range of $37 to $42 per share that Visa set three weeks ago, reflecting high demand to own a piece of a company that's promising earnings growth of 20 per cent despite a credit crunch that's choking the U.S. economy.
Investment bankers could still exercise an option to buy another 40.6 million Visa shares during the next 30 days. If that happens, Visa's IPO will end up raising $19.7 billion before expenses.
Visa faces another litmus test Wednesday when its shares are scheduled to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchagnge under the "V" ticker symbol. The San Francisco-based company will make its debut with a market value of about $36 billion.
Based on the strong demand among money managers who wanted a piece of the IPO, Einhorn anticipates Visa shares will quickly soar above $50.
Visa has been touting its stock as a safe haven - a message that apparently resonated with investors.
Unlike credit card lenders, Visa doesn't carry any consumer debt on its books. The company makes its money from processing fees, which have been steadily rising for years, including the past two U.S. recessions in 1991 and 2001.
Since the last recession, Visa also has been able to entice consumers to use its credit and debit cards more frequently to pay for staples like groceries, gas and even utility bills. Visa estimates about 42 per cent of its transactions fall into this "nondiscretionary" category, up from 27 per cent in 2000.
Visa conceivably could benefit from tougher times if more cash-strapped consumers rely on their credit cards to make ends meet, said Aite Group analyst Gwenn Bezard. "And even if people can't pay back the debt, Visa still makes money. It's a very attractive company."
AP