Visa Inc. (V)

Has owned both for a long time, but are trading near all-time highs, so this isn't the entry point. Wait a little. This as is expensive as they get in terms of PE. They are hard to dislodge, despite the threat of stablecoin. 

It owns the technology that processes transactions so it is basically a tech business. However it is very expensive with P/E in the 30 times range so you have to believe they're going to grow. It is a solid business and inflation actually helps them. There are disruptions in the payment space which are chipping away at Visa's moat. Change is coming but how fast - this will affect growth in their business.

Another of the best in the world with a great business model. Getting into so many areas. Sky's the limit. Economic downturns will affect earnings, but long-term runway and tailwinds are intact.

Every time he's trimmed the stock, it's been a mistake. Great example of the power of network effects. Though penetration is high in developed markets, it still delivers decent sales growth and low double-digit earnings growth. No reason for the story to imminently change. Value-added services (such as security, analytics, loyalty insights) are growing at multiples faster than the core business.

Both great, both enjoying growth ahead with much of the world still to adopt cashless payment. MA has seen a little higher growth, but both have good growth and both enjoy 97% gross margins and 67% operating margins. They got knocked about occasionally over fears of regulation. Prefers Visa slightly over its valuation discount. Good to buy either.

Best years of growth are probably behind it. Buybacks and dividend increases. Really tied to consumption, whether institutional or consumer. Good brand, good story. Transition from cash to digital will continue -- premier opportunity in that space. He's overweight, and probably won't trim just yet. 

A name you buy whenever you get the opportunity; long term, you'll make money. He's not a huge fan of the market at these levels.

Reliable name. Vast network, trusted brand, unmatched scale. Move from cash to digital payments. Consumer spending remains pretty solid in US. Cross-border transactions remain strong. Pretty capital light, which means very strong free cashflows. About 13% annual growth rate, paying a slight premium for the name. 

Recently bounced off 200-day MA very nicely, so it's a pretty good technical setup going forward. Yield is 0.68%.

12-month price target of $380. Rolled over on all the chatter about recession and slower growth. January earnings were great, beating on top and bottom; raised guidance. He owns MA instead, mainly due to slightly better upside than V's 16-17%.

Will always trade at a premium because the space has very few competitors. Right now, market is trading on news not fundamentals. Buy now and you'll be happy 6-24 months out. Economic slowdown will affect consumer. Who knows what tariffs will look like down the road?

His favourite for quite a few years, multiple a few points cheaper than MA. Debit card business growing faster than MA. Greater European and international tentacles.

Down because everything's down. Concern that in an economic slowdown people will be slower to pay off credit cards, and there will be less travel. Doesn't have the credit risks that banks do. 

Visa and Mastercard both have no credit risk and are doing incredibly well.

Undisputed champ, leaving fintech and MA in the dust. Gives you exposure to the financial sector. Outperforming the S&P financial sector by ~10%. Q1 saw 8% transaction growth. Cautious consumer spending could be a potential risk, though US consumer remains strong. E-commerce and travel spending could push volumes higher in 2025-26.

It's a hold for her, not in a rush to add more.

Very good performer, but always attracts a very high premium multiple. Seen as part of an oligopoly in the payments space. If there's a downtick in the economy, price and/or volume of goods would come down; there would be less "traffic" on the Visa toll road. In a recession, rather than people putting all purchases on plastic, they tend to be more cautious and spend less overall. So, potentially lower earnings.

Brand is fantastic, with very high ROIC. If it ever got cheap enough, he'd consider it. 

There is lots of growth internationally. The banks take on the risks in using the cards. It has become too big but that can change. The loyalty programs really help in the credit card business but there is a possibility that they may not be used as much in the future.