Visa (V) & Mastercard (MA) Shares Slip as Gamers Retaliate Over Censorship
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While the changes at Steam and Itch.io initially focused on games with adult content, that has spread to include other titles with mature themes. One example of this is the removal of Mouthwashing from Itch.io's search results to comply with payment processors' demands. Mouthwashing is an award-nominated indie horror game that tackles serious subject matter, causing its inclusion in the recent censorship.
Steam directly addressed the issue, saying, 'We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks. As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store, because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam.'
V and MA Stock Movements Today
Visa and Mastercard shares were both down roughly half a percent on Tuesday. However, V stock remained up 12.25% year-to-date and was up 7.88% over that same period. While it's possible additional pressure from gamers could harm its services, it's unclear how significantly it could do so.
Visa vs. Mastercard: Which Stock Do Analysts Prefer?
Using the TipRanks stock comparison tool, traders can see which of the two payment processors analysts favor. Both Visa and Mastercard have Strong Buy ratings and similar price target upsides. The P/E ratios for the two stocks are also comparable.
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Mastercard's payments leader Giulio Rindi on the future of B2B transactions
This story was originally published on To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily newsletter. Giulio Rindi, CFO for commercial and new payment flows at Mastercard, has spent more than a decade leading the company's global growth across Europe, international markets and now its expansion into new payment technologies. As CFOs know, as the payments landscape shifts, finance teams are expected to move faster, manage greater complexity and guide their companies through an unpredictable global economy. Rindi's role encompasses this, as he oversees the financial strategy behind Mastercard's efforts to modernize consumer and B2B payment flows, strengthen resilience and unlock new opportunities for the business. 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