Visa quarterly profit rises as holiday shopping powers spending

U.S. consumers shrugged off the impact of sticky inflation to ring in a solid holiday season, snapping up beauty products, apparel and electronics that were on steep discounts both online and in retail stores. Meanwhile, no weather-related disruptions in the final stretch of the year ensured travel within the U.S. and to international destinations also remained uninterrupted, lifting leisure, entertainment and cross-border volumes.