US card companies rise after Fed cuts rates

** Shares of U.S. card companies rise after Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 25 basis points

** Visa V.N up 1.2%, Mastercard MA.N up 1.3% and American Express AXP.N up 2.5%

** A decline in the benchmark interest rates helps card companies as lower interest boosts loan demand and facilitates spending on cards

** The Fed cut interest rates last year, but kept them unchanged in 2025 till this afternoon, on the back of geopolitical pressures, trade policy changes and inflationary pressures