$236.90
6.65 (+2.89%)
MasterCard, Inc. (MA)
CAPS Rating:
A global payment solutions company that provides various services in support of the credit, debit & related payment programs to financial institutes. Also develops & markets payment solutions, process payment transactions & provide consulting services.
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MasterCard is an exceptional business, but expenses were up last quarter, and transaction volume growth is more likely to decline in the U.S. as employment continues to decline. Early in 2008, MA saw large increases in dollar volume, but people were using credit to pay for essentials. That can't continue as credit limits are hit. Additionally, fewer banks means fewer card issuers. Visa, meanwhile, is seeing much higher debit card usage, and it leads MA on debit cards by a large degree. I'd watch MA for a possible purchase if it got cheap enough, but right now I don't think the worst is over in the economy.