February Sales Stabilize as Higher Ticket Sizes Offset Weather Driven Foot Traffic Declines

Rhea-AI Summary

Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) published the Fiserv Small Business Index for February 2026 showing a seasonally adjusted index of 143. Year‑over‑year small business sales rose +1.2% while transactions (foot traffic) fell -0.8%. Higher average ticket sizes (+2.0% YoY) largely drove the sales increase.

Retail and professional services saw modest gains; restaurants showed mixed results as limited‑service locations declined.

News Market Reaction – FISV

+1.68%

1 alert

+1.68% News Effect

On the day this news was published, FISV gained 1.68%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Fiserv Small Business Index: 143 Sales growth YoY: +1.2% Transactions YoY: -0.8% +5 more

8 metrics

Fiserv Small Business Index 143 February 2026, seasonally adjusted level

Sales growth YoY +1.2% February 2026 year-over-year small business sales

Transactions YoY -0.8% February 2026 year-over-year foot traffic

Average ticket YoY +2.0% February 2026 year-over-year ticket size

Restaurant sales YoY +0.1% Food Services and Drinking Places, February year-over-year

Limited-service restaurants YoY -1.8% Limited-Service Restaurants sales, February year-over-year

Full-service restaurants YoY +1.4% Full-Service Restaurants sales, February year-over-year

Rhode Island sales YoY -9.9% Rhode Island small business sales, February year-over-year

Market Reality Check

Price: $62.89 Vol: Volume 4,969,901 is 50% o...

low vol

$62.89 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,969,901 is 50% of 20-day average 9,868,952, indicating muted trading interest pre-release. low

Technical Shares at 61.85 are trading below the 200-day MA of 120.87 and well under the 52-week high of 175.47.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 12 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 12	Product launch	Positive	-5.3%	Launch of INDX real-time cash settlement platform for digital asset companies.
Feb 10	Earnings update	Positive	+4.1%	Q4 and 2025 results with revenue growth, higher GAAP EPS, and share repurchases.
Feb 03	Macro index data	Negative	-7.7%	January Small Business Index showing slowdown and sharp foot-traffic decline.
Jan 28	AI partnership	Positive	-2.3%	Expanded ServiceNow partnership to scale Now Assist across Fiserv operations.
Jan 27	Network expansion	Positive	-1.3%	Zelle expansion with 337 new institutions and at least 13M additional accounts.

Pattern Detected

Stock has often sold off on generally positive or neutral product/news updates, with earnings the only recent clearly aligned positive move.

Recent Company History

Recent news for Fiserv shows a mix of product innovation, macro data releases, and financial updates. In late January 2026, Zelle expansion and an AI partnership with ServiceNow were followed by modest share price declines. The January Small Business Index on Feb 3 highlighted weather-driven weakness and coincided with a larger negative reaction. By contrast, the Feb 10 earnings report with $21.19B 2025 revenue and ongoing buybacks saw a positive move. The new February Index continues that macro data series, showing stabilization after prior weather disruption.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights stabilization in the Fiserv Small Business Index at 143, with year-over...

Analysis

This announcement highlights stabilization in the Fiserv Small Business Index at 143, with year-over-year sales up 1.2% and average ticket size rising even as foot traffic softens. It extends January’s weather-driven narrative but shows more balanced performance across services, retail, and restaurants. In context of recent earnings and ecosystem expansions, investors may track future Index releases, geographic impacts like the -9.9% move in Rhode Island, and category splits between limited- and full-service restaurants.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Fiserv Small Business Index remains at 143; year-over-year sales grew +1.2%

MILWAUKEE, March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for February 2026, indicating that higher average tickets and shifting winter demand drove small business sales up slightly in February.

The seasonally adjusted Index remained at 143. Year-over-year sales grew (+1.2%) despite transactions (foot traffic) slowing (-0.8%) year over year. Month-over-month sales (+0.2%) and foot traffic (-0.1%) changed little compared to January. Sales growth was largely driven by higher tickets, which grew both year over year (+2.0%) and month over month (+0.3%).

“Small businesses showed resilience in February, with sales seeing a modest rebound despite a second consecutive month of harsh winter events,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “With many consumers reprioritizing their spend due to seasonal events, sales grew for service-based businesses, while restaurant sales declined because of slower foot traffic.”

Key Takeaways

Demand shifted in February due to cyclical patterns and weather
Subsectors that realized a year-over-year sales boost in the wake of harsh weather included Repair and Maintenance (+1.5%), Health and Personal Care Retailers (+3.0%) and Accommodations/Hotels (+4.3%). Seasonal patterns contributed to sales growth as well, with Professional Services up (+4.2%) as pricing for Tax Preparation, Business Services, and Legal Services grew.

Retail showed notable demand shifts.
Retail sales grew slightly (+0.6%) year over year and were flat compared to January. Foot traffic fell (-0.2%) from January but rose (+1.4%) year over year. Food and Beverage Stores (+0.8%), Motor Vehicle Parts (+0.9%) and Health and Personal Care Retailers (+0.5%) had small but meaningful gains month over month, likely in direct response to weather-related events. Food & Beverage Stores saw a slight decline in year-over-year sales (-0.1%) despite foot traffic growth (+0.5%) as consumers chose more budget-friendly options.

Small business restaurant sales slowed
Food Services and Drinking Places (Restaurants) sales were flat compared to January and year over year (+0.1%), suggesting some consumers may be deprioritizing eating out. Foot traffic declined month over month (-0.4%) and year over year (-2.1%).

Lackluster restaurant sales were most present at Limited-Service Restaurants (-1.8% year over year); Full-Service Restaurants performed much better, growing (+1.4%) year over year.

Winter Storm Drags Sales in the Northeast
For the second straight month, a winter storm in the final week impacted small business sales in a large portion of the northeast. Rhode Island (-9.9%) and New York (-2.9%) sales dropped significantly year over year, as February's blizzard made surface travel very limited. 

To access the full Fiserv Small Business Index, visit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex.

About the Fiserv Small Business Index^®

The Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every month and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending activity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on survey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from point-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions in-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses, including hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform.

Benchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value measuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring customer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region, state, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification available, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56 standardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors, allowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse dynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy. 

About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, moves more than money. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and Clover^®, the world’s smartest point-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500^® Index and one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Companies™. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news. 

For more information contact:

Media Relations:
Chase Wallace
Director, Communications
+1 470-481-2555
chase.wallace@fiserv.com

FAQ

What did Fiserv (FISV) report for the Small Business Index in February 2026?

The index remained at 143, indicating stable seasonally adjusted activity. According to Fiserv, sales grew +1.2% YoY while transactions fell -0.8% YoY, with higher average ticket sizes supporting the modest sales gain.

How did small business transactions and ticket sizes change in February 2026 for FISV data?

Transactions (foot traffic) declined while ticket sizes rose, offsetting weaker visits. According to Fiserv, foot traffic fell -0.8% YoY and average tickets increased +2.0% YoY, driving the net sales improvement.

Which small business subsectors saw the largest February 2026 gains in Fiserv's index (FISV)?

Accommodations, professional services, and health retailers led gains in February. According to Fiserv, Accommodations rose +4.3% YoY, Professional Services +4.2% YoY, and Health and Personal Care Retailers +3.0% YoY.

How did restaurant sales perform in February 2026 according to Fiserv (FISV)?

Restaurant sales were weak overall with mixed subsector performance. According to Fiserv, Food Services and Drinking Places were flat +0.1% YoY while Limited‑Service Restaurants fell -1.8% YoY and Full‑Service rose +1.4% YoY.

Did weather affect regional small business sales in February 2026 in Fiserv's report (FISV)?

Yes — a late winter storm reduced sales in parts of the northeast. According to Fiserv, Rhode Island sales fell -9.9% YoY and New York declined -2.9% YoY due to blizzard conditions limiting travel.

Where can investors find the full Fiserv Small Business Index report referenced by FISV?

The complete index and regional breakdown are publicly available online. According to Fiserv, the full Fiserv Small Business Index can be accessed at the company's Small Business Index web page.