MasterCard Investors Relieved Despite Net Loss
Excerpt from the InvestorGuide.com Stock of the Day on 11/4/2008

One of the sectors that has been undeniably affected by the current economic situation has been the financial sector. Banks and lenders have been destroyed, and those lucky enough to survive are fighting hard to stay afloat. One group of financial companies, however, tends to fluctuate between behaving like these other companies and being able to take a completely different path; these companies are the credit card companies. Companies such as Mastercard, Visa (V: Charts, News, Offers) and American Express (AXP: Charts, News, Offers) are clearly engaging in financial services; however, their customers are using their services for different purposes than a typical bank or lending institution customer. When Mastercard announced their earnings yesterday, it was possible to predict both strong and weak results. Were they able to highlight their strengths, or were they just as vulnerable as everyone else? More >

MasterCard Profit Up 63%, Beating Street Estimates
Excerpt from the InvestorGuide.com Stock of the Day on 10/31/2007

If you were to sit back and pick a handful of industries that would probably take a hit after this summer's credit crunch there's a good chance that credit card companies would have made your list. Banks like Wachovia (WAC: Charts, News, Offers) and Bear Stearns (BSC: Charts, News, Offers) have taken some major punishment, as have mortgage lenders like Countrywide Financial (CFC: Charts, News, Offers). If credit is more expensive to consumers it stands to say that consumers would clamp down on their spending habits in order to avoid, but that's not how things work. Good thing for MasterCard that consumers often throw inhibitions to the wind and pull out plastic regardless of the economic situation. Will this spending spree last, or will MasterCard be at the mercy of penny-pinchers this holiday season? More >