Stockchase Opinions

Joe Terranova Capital One Financial Corp COF-N BUY Feb 19, 2025

The merger with Discover creates the largest credit card company in the US. COF's balance sheet is strong.

$209.820

Stock price when the opinion was issued

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PAST TOP PICK

(Top Pick Jan 9/15, Down 5.91%) He thinks you will have significant credit card growth in the US next year. There is potential for dividend growth.

COMMENT

You have to start with a top-down analysis. Do you like financials? He can make a great case that financials will be much higher 5-10 years down the road. Remember, this is one sector that has never come back from the peaks that they held before the 2008 subprime crisis, so valuations generally are low. Also, it is one of the few groups that can benefit from higher interest rates. He feels this one has an excellent franchise. They are with the credit cards which is a growing way people pay worldwide. They also have some great individual banks.

TOP PICK

*Short*. The Company derives a good chunk of its revenue through its credit card business of about 40%, and its auto financing business, another 20%. Of that business, approximately one 3rd is subprime. One weak link in the US market is the subprime market where delinquencies and some of the charges are going to increase. Dividend yield of 2.1%. Thinks the stock can trade down to $59. (Analysts’ price target is $98.)

WEAK BUY
It's the 10th-largest US bank, at 8x PE. They expanded from credit cards into banking, and are building a strong brand. They're using technology to drive efficiency, will move to the cloud later this year. The trouble they'll have is that their client base on the retail side is weaker than peers like JP Morgan. COF isn't expensive and have grown impressively. Tech will make them more efficiency and overall COF will perform better post-Covid.
HOLD
Likes some of the credit card companies. They make sense. Secular push from cash to electronic payments. Likes this name, but watch its auto loans and sub-prime lending. Technically, has performed well since the lows of last year. See his Top Picks.
BUY
Their just-released quarter shot the lights out, with great loan growth and defaults well below pre-Covid levels. Shares surged over $9 today. The street expected their credit card business would be plagued by defaults, but those folks were wrong.
DON'T BUY

The company itself is fine, but the capital/lending cycle concerns him, where bankruptcies will increase and decrease earnings, buybacks and dividends.

BUY

His favourite in this industry, given the Discover-Capital One merger because he doesn't expect usery fees.

BUY

With regulation ahead, it's now more likely that their deal with Discover Financial will finally close--it's been taking forever. If so, COF could go up 25 points. No matter what, COF will be fine.