STOCKCHASE

No credit risks. Has fallen off its highs due to recent market correction and the new US financial regulation bill, which could possibly lead to a lower use credit/debit cards. Think the reaction from the street has been a little strong. Likes this but prefers MasterCard (MA-N) more. Trades at about 16X next year's earnings.

2010-06-16

Comment

85.680

A wonderful brand and have no credit risks. A move away from cash and towards credit/debit has been rampant. A little expensive at 23X earnings whereas MasterCard (MA-N) trades at about 17.

2010-05-12

BUY

85.990

A play on global growth and a place for investors to invest within financials that is not banking related. Has pulled back and is not a bad entry point.

2010-05-10

Comment

89.270

Steven Conville

MasterCard (MC-N) or Visa (V-N)? Both companies are well run. The risk would be the credit situation in the US and it might spill over with the new European crisis. When the stocks hit their lows in 2008-2009 that was a great buying opportunity. They have both been on a fantastic run and not sure you'll make much money buying at its current level.

2010-05-03

DON'T BUY

91.650

(Market Call Minute) Not going to see strong retail sales in US until 2012 so stock has over performed.

2010-03-16

DON'T BUY

87.030

Mark Grammer

Relatively expensive valuation at 26 X earnings. Very strong growth and high margins. If global banks think they are making too much money and talk about starting to squeeze them, this would affect the stock and would be a time to buy.

2009-12-17

HOLD

87.030

Stan Wong

Very profitable company with a lot of great margin. Good business model. Trading at 24X forward earnings, which look a little rich. As banks consolidate, expect they will start looking for concessions and squeeze them on the margins. If you own, hang on until it breaks down through the 50-day moving average.

2009-12-17

DON'T BUY

82.320

Great company with no credit risks. Trades at about 22X next year's earnings so too rich for him.

2009-12-10

Comment

80.820

Prefers MasterCard (MA-N) that has the same qualities but is a little bit cheaper.

2009-11-11

BUY

69.570

Prakash Hariharan

(Market Call Minute) Default rates declining. Excess spreads coming back into the play.

2009-09-29

BUY

73.920

For a five-year hold it is not a bad choice. One of the concerns he had when going into the recession was that the number of transactions would go down and people would be losing their credit cards.

2009-09-23

DON'T BUY

70.480

Don’t have any credit risk. They are processors of transactions. Good company, a little too expensive. Prefers Mastercard. Multiple should come down into the teens to be a buy.

2009-09-09

DON'T BUY

67.200

Ara Nalbandian

A little bit overvalued. Not a compelling opportunity.

2009-08-19

SELL

68.450

Paul Gardner, CFA

Every time he goes to approach this company or MasterCard (MA-N), defines the valuations are too high. Trades roughly at 23X forward earnings and 50X price to cash flow. It is a tollbooth so has no credit exposure. Great business and balance sheet is fantastic. With US consumer in saving mode, the growth of the transactions will be slowed.

2009-08-12

BUY

68.190

Mark Grammer

Very good industry. Limited competition. There is no credit risk as it is transaction oriented. As long as there is an improvement in consumption, which he expects, this company will benefit. There are also opportunities to grow in developing markets. Expanding into other things such as debit cards. On his watch list.

2009-07-27

Comment

59.490

Has consistently beaten all its earnings since it has gone public. Great company. Doesn't take on any credit risks, as it is transaction driven. Has a tail wind as people are giving up cash for plastic globally. Trades at about 21X earnings. Prefers MasterCard (MA-N) which is cheaper at about 15X 09 earnings.

2009-07-08

Comment

62.460

Had a multiple of 35 PE, dropped to 30 and is now in the low 20's. Starting to get very interesting. Because it is a growth stock he can't own it. Still too big a multiple to him, but getting close.

2009-06-16

DON'T BUY

64.430

Has no exposure to credit card companies. There is a case to be made for global growth with either Visa (V-N) or American Express (AXP-N) but with savings rates rising, there could be a bit of a challenge from an earnings standpoint. Would prefer asset managers that could participate from a fee standpoint, or a custodian such as State Street (STT-N).

2009-06-15

DON'T BUY

69.800

Norman Levine

Visa (V-N) and MasterCard (MA-N) make money on fees they charge merchants. (Also have debit cards in Europe and US but not in Canada.) Transaction oriented companies, so if you think retail sales are going to pick up then you will want to own but if the consumer is tapped out and trying to get out of debt (which he thinks) then you don't want to be there right now. His preference would be towards Visa because of its stronger international name.

2009-06-08

Comment

69.280

Michael Yoshikami

Between Visa (V-N) and MasterCard (MA-N), MasterCard is the cheaper of the stocks from a valuation standpoint. Both of these companies are in the right spot. There will be a huge increase in the use of debit cards and both companies have a huge position in this area.

2009-06-05

BUY

65.070

There is global upside in transaction values. If someone does not make good on their credit card, it is not this company that gets hit, but the bank.

2009-05-15

Comment

65.930

Mike Lyons CA, CFA

Doesn't have a firm opinion on this one but companies exposed to small and mid-ticket items will fare better than large ticket items.

2009-05-11

BUY

60.380

Michael Yoshikami

Is a credit card company but don’t make loans – they are a network system. Visa and MC are great companies. Visa is more attractive.

2009-04-24

HOLD

58.230

Charles Lannon

(Market Call Minute) Shares are priced about right.

2009-04-23

Comment

52.530

Michael Yoshikami

Prefers MasterCard (MC-N), which is less expensive valuation wise. If it where 10%-15% cheaper he would be more interested. The entire space has great opportunity.

2009-03-20

HOLD

56.310

Jeff Parent

(Market Call Minute.) Wouldn't be looking at this one right now. Don't think you'll be seeing $80-$90 any time soon.

2009-03-18

BUY on WEAKNESS

56.310

David Abella

Solid name. There is definitely a driver that more and more people are using. Has been held back because of lower retail sales. Long-term steady story and a way to play the transactional volume without worrying about any particular retailer or taking credit risks.

2009-03-18

BUY

49.800

Kevin O'Leary

Volatile stock because the credit card companies are volatile. Doesn't take credit risks. The infrastructure play of the financials. You will need a recovery in the economy to get it back to its highs. Good dividend.

2009-03-09

BUY on WEAKNESS

55.290

Michael Brown

The unique concept of this company is that it is not actually exposed to the credit card debt but only on the payment transaction. Has had a significant run year-to-date but would recommend buying closer to $50.

2009-03-04

Comment

55.410

A growth stock and he doesn't own it because he is a value investor. They don't have credit risks. Get fees from transactions. He is bullish on the use of credit cards long-term. Could be a bit of slowing with the recession. Stock price reflects all the good things. High PE at 20. OK if you are a growth investor.

2009-02-06

BUY

49.130

Andrew Guy, CFA

(Market Call Minute.) Expecting a recovery in the US economy in the second half of the year.

2009-02-04

TOP PICK

49.130

Kevin O'Leary

This is the infrastructure toll road of commerce. One of the most widely accepted cards in the world. First-quarter profit was 35%.

2009-02-04

HOLD

44.180

David Abella

A strong brand name. Think they will increase both credit and debit transactions over time. Long-term it's a pretty good play. Will be subject to retail sales, which will be weak for a little while.

2009-01-21

Comment

50.970

No credit risks. Basically a transaction company and the more transactions the more they get paid. A growing business but has always been a little expensive for him at around 20X earnings. Prefers MasterCard (MA-N), which is cheaper at around 14X earnings.

2009-01-14

BUY

52.750

Matthew McCall

Likes it. There are a lot of transaction fees. Buy at the $40 to $45 level.

2008-12-15

SELL

51.580

Andrew Guy, CFA

(Market Call Minute.) He would Sell in the short-term and Buy in the long-term.

2008-11-19

DON'T BUY

51.580

Don Lato

Still an expensive stock. Great company. Less expensive than it was 4 or 5 months ago when it was trading at 40 X earnings. Still trading at 20 X earnings.

2008-11-19

Comment

54.240

Solid company. Doesn't have the credit risks of a lot of companies have. Not a lot of downside risk but it is going to have pressure as credit card use goes down.

2008-11-14

DON'T BUY

54.440

David Driscoll

Biggest concern in the US right now is that consumers may end up having to pay debt and won't be using credit cards.

2008-11-13

DON'T BUY

51.750

Hap (Robert) Sneddon FCSI

Expects that long-term it is going to grow very well, 15% plus. Expanding. Trades at around 20 times. There are other opportunities that represent better risk/reward.

2008-11-12

SELL

53.790

Norman Levine

(Market Call Minute.) Gets its earnings totally from credit card volumes and they are not growing anymore.

2008-11-11

SELL ON STRENGTH

52.630

Americans are going to start to become savers and this is not good for Visa. It fell below its April low. There may be a bounce up to that low. The banks get stuck with the debt so they are insulated from that.

2008-10-08

DON'T BUY

51.150

They don’t have the kind of credit exposure that other financials have. Would not own it. Multiple is very high. But not the same downside as other financials.

2008-10-07

DON'T BUY

55.380

There will be fewer cards and with lower credit limits because of the recession. Transaction volumes will decline.

2008-10-06

WAIT

57.800

They don’t take on any of the credit related issues. If people are maxed out on credit cards, they don’t use Visa as much. They are international and the global economy is slowing down. Visa has the better brand name. He prefers Visa. There are areas where they can expand. He thinks you will be able to buy it lower

2008-09-29

HOLD

66.350

David Driscoll

(Market Call Minute.) Would buy if it fell another 15%.

2008-09-16

DON'T BUY

69.040

Pat Naccarato

MasterCard (MA-N) and Visa (V-N) are phenomenal franchises and basically a global duopoly. Not tied to spending but transaction growth. PE multiple for both companies is somewhere in the mid-20s, which is very rich. On a 5-year time horizon, they will grow into that multiple. Would consider buying at a sub-20 PE.

2008-09-10

DON'T BUY

69.040

Expensive at about 30X earnings. For a processing company, it is really priced for perfection.

2008-09-10

DON'T BUY

74.990

(Market Call Minute.) US credit formation is very slow right now. Opportunity to sell new cards is low.

2008-09-02

DON'T BUY

74.450

A great company, but trading at a huge multiple because they don't have the credit card risk that an individual bank does. Growth stock. Can’t get comfortable with the valuation.

2008-08-27

DON'T BUY

74.090

Paul Larson

A top-shelf company. A financial stock that takes no credit risk and is benefiting from this shift of going from cash to plastic. The organic growth is very robust. Strong competitive position. Valuation is not quite as interesting as it is only slightly undervalued.

2008-08-22

DON'T BUY

74.380

Concerned about credit card companies over the near-term until we get through this financial trauma. Credit card balances have been trending up. Be a little cautious.

2008-08-21

Comment

72.600

Gordon Higgins, CA, MBA

Get paid based on volumes of transactions, so if you are worried about any kind of slowdown, they could have a slowdown in earnings. Reasonable but not compelling value at these levels.

2008-08-08

DON'T BUY

70.550

Duncan Stewart

Earnings numbers have done surprisingly well given the weakness in the US consumer. His concern is that the other shoe has yet to drop. Anywhere in the $50 level you're looking at some pretty decent value.

2008-07-28

BUY

74.050

Andrew Guy, CFA

American Express (AXP-N) had a disappointing 2nd quarter, due to problems of people paying their bills and resulted in a higher loan-loss. Visa is a processor and not responsible for losses due to unpaid bills. However, slowing down of consumer purchases will affect the number of transactions. At this level, it is relatively attractive.

2008-07-22

DON'T BUY

75.870

Trading at about 30X earnings, which is a little rich. He would prefer it at 20X earnings. Great business. No credit risks.

2008-07-09

DON'T BUY

75.620

Gavin Graham

Up 75% since it went public in March however, this is not a MasterCard Mach II, which made you 3 or 4 times your money in the last couple of years. He has reduced his holdings. Pretty expensive even with good growth.

2008-07-07

Comment

78.070

Bill Carrigan

An IPO that hasn't been out too long so he can't chart it easily but it does have a symmetrical triangle. This one seems to be trying to come out the bottom. Look at MasterCard (MA-N) and see how it is doing. If it violates the trend line he would exit this one. They will both do the same thing.

2008-07-03

BUY

82.660

Strong name in the financial services sector. Trying to mimic American Express by promoting a lot of new cards with prizes. This is cutting into margins. For a long-term play, it is a decent stock to own.

2008-06-24

DON'T BUY

80.310

Not bullish on this company. His concern is the ability of the banks to take on more credit cards. Visa doesn’t have the credit risks, but as cards get maxed out and go into default there will be fewer transactions.

2008-06-10

DON'T BUY

86.070

David Garrity

Seems to have gotten ahead of itself. Would like to have this one season at little bit longer after its IPO.

2008-06-02

BUY on WEAKNESS

86.360

Can enter stock and add to it if weakness, preferred over Mastercard.

2008-05-30

DON'T BUY

85.250

Michael Sprung

Little concerned because of consumers being overextended. Credit card debts are getting very high at the moment. If interest rates back up a little bit, this could be under threat.

2008-05-29

DON'T BUY

78.740

The ability to grow its cardholder base and to grow the number of retail transactions in the current economic environment is restrained.

2008-05-27

DON'T BUY

76.350

Laura Wallace

Likes the concept, but there will be a better opportunity. Big advantage is that they benefit from the transactions but don’t take any risks. A little expensive. Would consider in the $55 range.

2008-05-23

DON'T BUY

80.850

Was a relatively hot IPO. Trading at a pretty full multiple. People are hoping there is going to be significant international growth. Discover (DFS-N) and American Express (AXP-N) are both cheaper and he would rather own American Express.

2008-05-21

DON'T BUY

82.230

A processing company that gets paid on the volume of transactions. There are no credit risks. A little bit too expensive and a little bit too hot off the IPO.

2008-05-14

DON'T BUY

82.380

Stock roared out of the gate and people who were lucky enough to get it on the IPO made a lot of money. Feels it is a little too hot right now. He is concerned about 2 things in the business. 1) The increasing rate of credit card defaults and 2) as interest rates go up, their margins will get squeezed.

2008-05-13

BUY on WEAKNESS

87.300

Cameron Webster

2 marquee stocks that he is watching right now are Visa (V-N) and MasterCard (MA-N). They have no credit risk. They are transactional-based businesses. The multiples in terms of earnings are a bit rich. Wait for a pullback. If you want global growth, MasterCard would be the better.

2008-05-08

BUY

88.500

Paul Thornton

They don't have the problem of a possible default risk as they are just processing transactions. Mutual funds will be accumulating this stock.

2008-05-07

BUY

87.530

Thinks the stock goes higher in the intermediate term. The Visa issue was very popular because 1) there was very little credit risk involved and 2) it is a play on global transactions that are growing very rapidly. Not inexpensive, but feels it's a long-term growth story.

2008-05-06

DON'T BUY

83.450

Norman Levine

This was a hot IPO not too long ago. It did well because it is a great brand name. Also, the history of MasterCard’s IPO was fabulous. Probably overvalued. Entirely tied into consumer spending.

2008-04-30

HOLD

80.880

IPO was extremely successful. Thinks it's a little bit on the rich side currently.

2008-04-29

DON'T BUY

75.100

Duncan Stewart

Pricing on this is quite high. Had a spectacular run. One of his big concerns is its ability to control fraud going forward. If fraud goes too high, there would be less use of credit cards. He would prefer it in the $60 range.

2008-04-25

BUY on WEAKNESS

72.300

An excellent story. He thought there would be a pullback and would buy it then. There are no debt issues or bad credit card issues. It should do very well. Fundamentals are very strong long-term. Try to buy at $65.

2008-04-24

Comment

70.080

David Driscoll

A crapshoot simply because of the IPO. They benefit from the move to plastic from writing cheques. There will be a lot of volatility in the near term, so treat this as a trading stock and use limits.

2008-04-23

BUY

69.000

If you are going to be in financials, this is a pretty good spot to be. It will be a very popular name for institutions to own. Limited liability. Income from fees.

2008-04-18

BUY

64.350

Alan Kral , CFA, CIC

Will be treated as high growth and dividends won’t grow very rapidly. With any kind of retraction/recession, especially in the US, there could be some slowdown. However, their ability to grow outside the US is virtually unlimited. Not a bad time to get involved if you are prepared to hold it for 3 to 5 years.

2008-04-15

BUY

33.370

Paul Thornton

The stock hasn't been out very long, but it's trading well. It's a big company and a growing company. MasterCard was up about 5X since its IPO. If you look out a couple of years from now, what mutual fund is not going to own a piece of this. Large company, so a safer and better place to be in this market.

2008-04-11

DON'T BUY

33.370

Michael Smedley

(Market Call Minute.) Came out with a massive premium and is probably still there so he wouldn't buy it.

2008-04-01

BUY on WEAKNESS

33.370