Visa, Inc. (V) is fresh off the heels of an impressive 6-month run in which its share price advanced from just above $41 to a recent high-water mark above $71. Estimates have risen in tandem, keeping valuations in check.

Company Description

Visa, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates retail payment networks worldwide. The company was founded in 1958, went public in 2008 and has a market cap of $48 billion.

Shares of Visa received a nice boost when the company reported strong second-quarter results in late April that were ahead of expectations.

Second-Quarter Results

Revenue was up 13% from last year to $1.6 billion. Income was up even more, coming in at $536 million against last year’s $314 million, producing earnings of 73 cents per share, 9 cents ahead of the consensus.

Visa noted that it saw a slight decline in its domestic business due to the general economic decline but added that its strong international presence enabled it to boost its results.

Consistent Results

This was the fourth time in the last four quarters that the company has surprised and beat estimates, having done so by an average of 9 cents, or 15%.

Estimates Up

Estimates have been slowly ticking higher over the past few months, with the current year up 12 cents to $2.82 per share. The next-year estimate is bullish, standing at $3.37, a 19% earnings growth projection.

The Chart

Shares of Visa bottomed out in early 2009 before turning higher and posting impressive gains for the last few months as the overall market rallied. Shares bumped into some resistance at $70 and have since retreated a bit, but the long-term trend is still in tact. Take a look below.

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