Слайд 15 Reasons You Should Love Visa and MasterCard
Слайд 2Attractive Investments
While they’re household names and likely already in your wallets,
Visa and MasterCard are also compelling investments.
And if you can’t decide which specific one to buy, it turns out, together they have five identical reasons to be put on your investment watch list.
Слайд 31. Remarkable growth
Since 2009 MasterCard and Visa have each seen their
revenue rise by more than 65%, at an annual rate of 13% for MasterCard and 14% for Visa.
Слайд 41. Remarkable growth
Yet it isn’t just revenue that has skyrocketed --
but earnings too, as the earnings per share has risen even more impressively:
Слайд 52. Astounding profitability
Part of the reason behind this impressive growth in
earnings is the almost incomprehensible ability for Visa and MasterCard to churn profits.
Their operating margin -- their income from operations divided by sales -- dramatically outpaces other firms which are believed to be immensely profitable:
Слайд 63. Dominant market position
Part of the reason these firms are able
to deliver such remarkable returns is their entrenched position in the payments landscape at the network processors. Of the $11.3 trillion of payments volume in 2012, they were responsible for nearly 90% of them:
Слайд 74. Commitment to shareholder returns
As with any investment, one thing to
consider is not only its ability to generate money – which Visa and MasterCard are clearly doing -- but also its willingness to return it back to shareholders.
And here too, MasterCard and Visa excel.
Слайд 84. Commitment to shareholder returns
2009 Visa Annual Dividend: $0.42 per share
2013
Visa Quarterly Dividend: $0.40 per share
2009 MasterCard Annual Dividend: $0.06 per share
2013 MasterCard Quarterly Dividend: $0.11 per share
While their yield of less than 1% -- 0.6% for MasterCard and 0.8% for Visa -- won‘t cause many income investors to rejoice, the commitment of their executives to return money should be noted.
Слайд 94. Commitment to shareholder returns
“Today’s actions reflect our ongoing commitment to
deliver shareholder value as well as our confidence in the long-term growth and financial performance of our Company.”
Said MasterCard’s president and chief executive officer, Ajay Banga, on the announcement of it increase its dividend by 83% and $3.5 billion in share repurchases.
Слайд 104. Commitment to shareholder returns
“We also have been consistent and decisive
in returning excess cash to shareholders and maintain this commitment. Both the [increases] reflect this and our continued confidence in our ability to grow our business over the long term globally.”
Noted Visa’s CEO Charlie Scharf when the firm announced it would be buying back $5 billion of its stock and raising its dividend 21%.
Слайд 115. Reasonable valuation
While the price-to-earnings ratio of 27 for Visa and
29 for MasterCard are certainly higher than many companies -- the S&P 500 stands at 18.6 currently -- the reality is the companies have an almost unparalleled ability to deliver returns, so it’s understandable the value is so high.
While the price is high, one has to think, as Buffett might say, these are “wonderful companies at fair prices.”
Слайд 12Your credit card may soon be worthless.