Discover Financial Services (DFS) is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2024 results on Jan. 22, after the closing bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter’s earnings per share is pegged at $3.15, which indicates an improvement of more than one-fold from the prior-year quarter’s reported number.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.Fourth-quarter earnings estimates have witnessed six upward revisions and one downward revision over the past month, gaining 7.1%. M ...

Wall Street analysts forecast that Discover (DFS) will report quarterly earnings of $3.15 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 104.6%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $4.39 billion, exhibiting an increase of 4.7% compared to the year-ago quarter.Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted downward by 2.6% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial project ...

Have you been searching for a stock that might be well-positioned to maintain its earnings-beat streak in its upcoming report? It is worth considering Discover (DFS) , which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Consumer Loans industry.When looking at the last two reports, this credit card issuer and lender has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 55.27%, on average, in the last two quarters.For the most recent quarter, Discover was expected to post earni ...

I'm a passionate investor from the Netherlands with 12 years of stock market experience. My articles usually contain a good overview of important investment criteria. A stock for my portfolio is of interest to me if the company has the following characteristics:1. Companies that are growing in both revenue, earnings and free cash flow.2. Companies that have excellent growth prospects.3. Stocks with favorable valuations.I prefer steadily growing companies with high free cash flow margins, dividend stocks and ...

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Net Interest Income and Margin - Net Interest Income increased by 10% to $3.655 billion in Q3 2024 compared to $3.322 billion in Q3 2023[1] - Net Interest Margin improved by 43 basis points to 11.38% in Q3 2024 from 10.95% in Q3 2023[1] - Net Interest Margin improved by 43 bps to 11.38% in Q3 2024, up from 10.95% in Q3 2023[7] - Net Yield on Interest-earning Assets improved by 25 bps to 9.54% in Q3 2024, up from 9.29% in Q3 2023[7] - Interest yield rose to 15.06% in Sep 30, 2024, up 62 basis points (bps) from 14.44% in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Interest yield on personal loans increased by 89 bps YoY to 13.58% for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[10] Non-Interest Income and Revenue - Total Non-Interest Income grew by 11% to $798 million in Q3 2024 from $722 million in Q3 2023[1] - Total revenue for Q3 2024 increased by 17% year-over-year to $26.423 billion, compared to $22.569 billion in Q3 2023[3] Credit Losses and Provisions - Provision for Credit Losses decreased by 13% to $1.473 billion in Q3 2024 from $1.702 billion in Q3 2023[1] - Allowance for credit losses decreased to $8,512 million in Sep 30, 2024, down 2% from $8,665 million in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Provision for credit losses in digital banking decreased by $400 million (10%) YoY to $3.709 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] Net Income and Earnings Per Share - Net Income rose by 41% to $965 million in Q3 2024 compared to $683 million in Q3 2023[1] - Basic EPS increased by 42% to $3.69 in Q3 2024 from $2.59 in Q3 2023[1] Operating Efficiency and Expenses - Operating Efficiency worsened by 200 basis points to 38.0% in Q3 2024 from 36.0% in Q3 2023[1] - Total operating expenses for digital banking increased by $1.479 billion (36%) YoY to $5.589 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] Capital and Equity Metrics - Total common equity increased by 23% year-over-year to $16.204 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $13.180 billion in Q3 2023[5] - Tangible common equity per share rose by 23% year-over-year to $63.49 in Q3 2024, up from $51.69 in Q3 2023[5] - Total risk-based capital ratio improved to 15.0% in Q3 2024, up from 14.1% in Q3 2023[4] - Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio increased to 13.5% in Q3 2024, compared to 12.5% in Q3 2023[4] - Common equity tier 1 capital ratio rose to 12.7% in Q3 2024, up from 11.6% in Q3 2023[4] - Tangible Common Equity (TCE) as of Sep 30, 2024, is $15,949 million, up from $12,925 million in Sep 30, 2023[14] - GAAP Book Value Per Share increased to $68.71 as of Sep 30, 2024, compared to $56.93 in Sep 30, 2023[14] - Tangible Common Equity Per Share rose to $63.49 as of Sep 30, 2024, from $51.69 in Sep 30, 2023[14] - Total Common Equity grew to $16,204 million as of Sep 30, 2024, up from $13,180 million in Sep 30, 2023[14] - TCE is a non-GAAP measure representing common equity less goodwill and intangibles, considered a meaningful measure of the company's net asset value[13] Asset and Loan Growth - Net loans grew by 4% year-over-year to $126.993 billion in Q3 2024, up from $122.676 billion in Q3 2023[3] - Total tangible assets grew by 6% year-over-year to $151.338 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $143.177 billion in Q3 2023[5] - Total Assets increased by 8% to $151.647 billion in Q3 2024 compared to $140.881 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Credit Card Loans grew by 5% to $100.290 billion in Q3 2024, up from $95.796 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Personal Loans increased by 11% to $10.428 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $9.368 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Other Loans surged by 49% to $7.358 billion in Q3 2024, up from $4.942 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Total Loans increased by 6% to $127.707 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $120.380 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Total loan receivables increased to $126,993 million as of Sep 30, 2024, up 4% year-over-year from $122,676 million in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Credit card loans ending balance reached $100,489 million in Sep 30, 2024, up 3% year-over-year from $97,389 million in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Private student loans decreased by $1.862 billion (19%) YoY to $8.484 billion as of Sep 30, 2024[10] - Personal loans increased by $879 million (9%) YoY to $10.438 billion as of Sep 30, 2024[10] Deposits and Borrowings - Total deposits increased by 6% year-over-year to $151.593 billion in Q3 2024, up from $143.432 billion in Q3 2023[3] - Total borrowings decreased by 15% year-over-year to $9.307 billion in Q3 2024, down from $10.889 billion in Q3 2023[3] - Total Interest-bearing Deposits rose by 8% to $107.286 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $99.606 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Certificates of Deposits grew by 30% to $27.839 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $21.473 billion in Q3 2023[7] - Restricted Cash increased by 169% to $641 million in Q3 2024, up from $238 million in Q3 2023[7] Credit Metrics - Gross principal charge-off rate increased to 5.91% in Sep 30, 2024, up 167 bps from 4.24% in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Delinquency rate (30 or more days) rose to 3.46% in Sep 30, 2024, up 40 bps from 3.06% in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Net principal charge-off dollars for credit card loans increased to $1,332 million in Sep 30, 2024, up 37% year-over-year from $973 million in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Reserve rate for credit card loans rose to 7.55% in Sep 30, 2024, up 29 bps from 7.26% in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Net principal charge-off rate for personal loans increased by 170 bps YoY to 4.00% for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[10] - Delinquency Rate (30 or more days) and Gross Principal Charge-off Rate are key credit metrics, calculated based on loans delinquent and charge-off dollars[12] Digital Banking and Payment Services - Net interest income for digital banking grew by $1.035 billion (11%) YoY to $10.666 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] - Total payment services network volume increased by $30.036 billion (7%) YoY to $462.377 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] - PULSE Network volume grew by $36.973 billion (18%) YoY to $243.395 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] - Discover Network transactions processed decreased by 19 million (1%) YoY to 2.773 billion for the nine months ended Sep 30, 2024[11] Stock and Shareholder Metrics - Common Stock Price rose by 62% to $140.29 at the end of Q3 2024 from $86.63 at the end of Q3 2023[1] - Book Value per Share increased by 21% to $68.71 in Q3 2024 from $56.93 in Q3 2023[1] - GAAP Book Value Per Share increased to $68.71 as of Sep 30, 2024, compared to $56.93 in Sep 30, 2023[14] - Tangible Common Equity Per Share rose to $63.49 as of Sep 30, 2024, from $51.69 in Sep 30, 2023[14] - Preferred Stock adjustments were consistent, with a slight decrease from $4.22 in Sep 30, 2023, to $4.20 in Sep 30, 2024[14] Regulatory and Non-GAAP Measures - Regulatory Capital Ratios, including Total Risk Based Capital Ratio and Tier 1 Capital Ratio, are preliminary and based on risk-weighted assets[12] - TCE is a non-GAAP measure representing common equity less goodwill and intangibles, considered a meaningful measure of the company's net asset value[13] Other Financial Metrics - Total Liquidity details were not fully disclosed in the balance sheet summary[2] - Goodwill remained constant at $255 million across all reported periods[14] - Intangibles were negligible, with no changes reported across all periods[14] - Discover Card sales volume declined to $53,380 million in Sep 30, 2024, down 3% year-over-year from $54,952 million in Sep 30, 2023[8] - Total Discover Card volume decreased to $56,593 million in Sep 30, 2024, down 4% year-over-year from $58,965 million in Sep 30, 2023[8]

Net Income and Earnings - Net income was $870 million, or $3.32 per diluted share, compared to $586 million, or $2.21 per diluted share in the prior year[307] - Net income increased by 48% from $586 million in September 2023 to $870 million in September 2024[371] - Net income allocated to common stockholders increased by 52% from $550 million in September 2023 to $834 million in September 2024[371] Loan Growth and Performance - Total loans grew $4.3 billion, or 4%, to $127.0 billion[307] - Credit card loans grew $3.1 billion, or 3%, to $100.5 billion[307] - Credit card loans grew to $100.290 billion with a yield of 16.23% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $95.796 billion and a yield of 15.43% in 2023[361] - Total loan receivables increased to $127.707 billion with a yield of 15.06% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, up from $120.380 billion and a yield of 14.44% in 2023[361] - Total loan portfolio decreased from $128.409 billion in December 2023 to $118.509 billion in September 2024, a decline of 7.7%[365] - Credit card loans decreased from $102.259 billion in December 2023 to $100.489 billion in September 2024, a decline of 1.7%[365] Credit Card Loans and Delinquencies - The net charge-off rate for credit card loans increased 125 basis points to 5.28%[307] - Credit card loans 30 or more days delinquent increased to $3,857 million (3.84%) in September 2024 from $3,955 million (3.87%) in December 2023[379] - Credit card loans 90 or more days delinquent decreased to $1,883 million (1.87%) in September 2024 from $1,917 million (1.87%) in December 2023[379] - Net charge-offs for credit card loans increased to $1,332 million (5.28%) in September 2024 from $973 million (4.03%) in September 2023[391] Deposit Growth - Direct-to-consumer deposits grew $9.1 billion, or 11%, to $90.3 billion[307] - At September 30, 2024, the company had $90.3 billion of direct-to-consumer deposits and $19.5 billion of brokered deposits, with $95.7 billion due in less than one year and $14.1 billion due in one year or thereafter[410] Payment Services - Payment Services transaction volume for the segment was $100.5 billion, up 9%[307] - Total Payment Services volume increased to $100.473 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024, up from $91.768 billion in the same period in 2023[337] - Payment Services segment reported income before income taxes of $84 million in Q3 2024, compared to $85 million in Q3 2023[335] Revenue and Income - Total other income subject to ASC 606 was $1.866 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $1.448 billion in the same period in 2023[301] - Discount and interchange revenue, net, increased to $1.121 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $1.027 billion in the same period in 2023[301] - Transaction processing revenue increased to $262 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $221 million in the same period in 2023[301] - Loan fee income increased to $619 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, from $546 million in the same period in 2023[301] - Total interest income for Digital Banking increased to $5.112 billion in Q3 2024, up from $4.610 billion in Q3 2023[335] - Net interest income for Digital Banking rose to $3.655 billion in Q3 2024, compared to $3.322 billion in Q3 2023[335] - Credit card loans interest income grew to $4.092 billion in Q3 2024, up from $3.726 billion in Q3 2023[335] - Personal loans interest income increased to $360 million in Q3 2024, compared to $305 million in Q3 2023[335] - Total income before income taxes for Digital Banking reached $1.108 billion in Q3 2024, up from $676 million in Q3 2023[335] - Net interest income increased for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, driven by higher average loan receivables and yield expansion[339] - Total other income increased for the three months ended September 30, 2024, driven by a gain from the sale of the private student loan portfolio[340] - Total other income increased to $798 million in September 2024 from $705 million in September 2023, driven by a gain from the sale of the private student loan portfolio[396] Credit Losses and Allowances - Provision for credit losses decreased for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to portfolio seasoning[340] - Allowance for credit losses was $8.5 billion at September 30, 2024, reflecting a $31 million build from June 30, 2024[356] - Sensitivity analysis showed that the allowance for credit losses would increase by $444 million if 100% weight was applied to the most adverse macroeconomic scenario[358] - Allowance for credit losses decreased from $9.283 billion in December 2023 to $8.512 billion in September 2024, a decline of 8.3%[365] - Net charge-offs for credit card loans decreased from $2.499 billion in September 2023 to $973 million in September 2024, a decline of 61.1%[377] - Net charge-offs for personal loans increased to $106 million (4.01%) in September 2024 from $62 million (2.63%) in September 2023[391] Expenses - Total expenses are expected to increase, driven by investments in compliance, risk management, and wage growth, excluding card misclassification and merger-related costs[320] - Total other expense increased for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to higher employee compensation and benefits, and technology investments[352] - Total other expense increased by $224 million (14%) for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, driven by increases in employee compensation and benefits, information processing and communications, and professional fees[398] - Employee compensation and benefits increased by $128 million (22%) for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to higher average salaries and employee retention awards[398] - Information processing and communications expenses increased by $48 million (32%) for the three months ended September 30, 2024, driven by technology investments and accelerated private student loan software depreciation[398] - Professional fees increased by $42 million (15%) for the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to recovery fees and consulting supporting the pending merger[398] - Total other expense increased by $719 million (17%) for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, driven by increases in employee compensation and benefits, other expense, and professional fees[399] Interest Rates and Margins - Net interest margin is expected to increase compared to 2023, driven by higher card yields and the exit of private student lending[320] - Net interest margin improved to 11.38% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 10.95% in the same period in 2023[361] - Total interest-earning assets increased to $152.371 billion with a yield of 13.35% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $141.828 billion and a yield of 12.90% for the same period in 2023[361] - Total interest-bearing deposits increased to $107.286 billion with a yield of 4.50% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, up from $99.606 billion and a yield of 4.23% in 2023[361] - Net interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, was $10.666 billion, compared to $9.631 billion in the same period in 2023[363] - Total interest-earning assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, were $152.493 billion with a yield of 13.17%, compared to $136.911 billion and a yield of 12.67% in 2023[363] - Credit card loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, were $100.062 billion with a yield of 16.01%, compared to $92.383 billion and a yield of 15.21% in 2023[363] - Total loan receivables for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, were $127.273 billion with a yield of 14.87%, compared to $115.926 billion and a yield of 14.23% in 2023[363] - A +100 basis point change in interest rates would result in a $92 million (0.65%) impact on earnings as of September 30, 2024[472] - A -100 basis point change in interest rates would result in a $74 million (0.52%) negative impact on earnings as of September 30, 2024[472] - The majority of the company's credit card and private student loans charge variable rates as of September 30, 2024[470] - The company's net interest income and earnings may be reduced if interest rates on assets increase slower than rates on borrowings[469] Regulatory and Compliance - The company's Stress Capital Buffer (SCB) requirement increased to 3.1% effective from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025[327] - Discover is subject to new cybersecurity regulations, with final rules expected to be published in late 2025 and become effective in 2026[348] - The effective tax rate increased to 27.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 23.0% in 2023, due to the adoption of the proportional amortization method and potential non-deductible regulatory penalties[402] - The company's disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2024, despite fair presentation of financial statements[474] - The company submitted an updated capital plan on May 3, 2024, due to the Merger Agreement with Capital One[462] Capital and Liquidity - The company's tangible common equity was $15.798 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $12.924 billion as of December 31, 2023[438] - The liquidity portfolio and undrawn credit facilities totaled $77.5 billion as of September 30, 2024, a $7.8 billion increase from December 31, 2023[457] - The company had $9.3 billion of outstanding public asset-backed securities and $2.5 billion of outstanding subordinated asset-backed securities as of September 30, 2024[418] - At September 30, 2024, the company had total committed borrowing capacity of $4.9 billion with the FHLB of Chicago, of which $1.0 billion of long-term advances were outstanding[422] - Discover Financial Services (Parent Company) and Discover Bank have outstanding fixed-rate debt totaling $7.789 billion, with $644 million of interest due in less than one year and $1.7 billion due thereafter[423] - Discover Bank has $46.1 billion of available borrowing capacity through the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's discount window, with no borrowings outstanding as of September 30, 2024[427] - The company has $750 million of short-term advances outstanding from private asset-backed securitizations as of September 30, 2024[424] - Discover Financial Services has a total committed capacity of $3.5 billion through private asset-backed securitizations, with $750 million drawn as of September 30, 2024[425] - The company's liquidity portfolio includes highly liquid assets such as cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, and investment securities, primarily composed of U.S. Treasury and GSE debt obligations[430] - Discover Financial Services and Discover Bank met the "well-capitalized" status requirements under Federal Reserve Regulation Y and FDIC rules as of September 30, 2024[436] - The phase-in of the CECL accounting model decreased CET1 by $1.6 billion as of January 1, 2024[461] - Tangible common equity at September 30, 2024 is considered a non-GAAP financial measure, excluding goodwill and intangibles[464] Dividends and Shareholder Returns - The company's Series C preferred stock dividends totaled $55 million for both 2024 and 2023[439] - Total common stock dividends for 2024 amounted to $2.80 per share, compared to $2.70 per share in 2023[465] - Quarterly cash dividends on common stock may not exceed $0.70 per share without prior written consent from Capital One[467] Credit Ratings and Financial Health - Discover Financial Services' senior unsecured debt is rated Baa2 by Moody's, BBB- by Standard & Poor's, and BBB+ by Fitch Ratings[453] - The DiscoverSeries three-month rolling average excess spread was 14.00% for the three months ended September 30, 2024[405] Mergers and Acquisitions - The company submitted an updated capital plan on May 3, 2024, due to the Merger Agreement with Capital One[462]

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Core Insights - Discover Financial Services (DFS) has formed a strategic alliance with Telered to enhance payment systems and increase card acceptance for users [1] - The partnership is expected to improve DFS's revenue through increased domestic and cross-border transactions, despite a 4% decline in discount/interchange revenues year-over-year in Q3 2024 [2] Group 1: Partnership Benefits - The alliance will allow Sistema Clave users to access over 70 million global merchants and 1.8 million ATMs, facilitating seamless international transactions [3] - Local merchants will benefit from expanded reach to over 345 million cardholders, including those from Discover, Diners Club, and PULSE networks, enhancing revenue opportunities for Panamanian businesses [4] Group 2: Project Clave 2.0 - Project Clave 2.0 will be executed in three stages over one year, starting with infrastructure changes and interconnection with Discover Global Network [5] Group 3: Financial Performance - Discover Financial's shares have increased by 41.3% over the past six months, outperforming the industry growth of 25.4% [6]

Core Viewpoint - Discover Financial has reported strong third-quarter results driven by interest income growth, despite facing higher expenses [2][3]. Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share for Q3 2024 were $3.69, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.28, and reflecting a 42% year-over-year increase [3]. - Revenues, net of interest expenses, rose 10% year-over-year to $4.45 billion, surpassing the consensus mark by 2.2% [3]. - Interest income reached $5.11 billion, an 11% increase year-over-year, beating the model estimate of $4.99 billion [5]. - Total operating expenses increased 16% year-over-year to $1.69 billion, higher than the estimate of $1.59 billion [6]. - Net income surged 41% year-over-year to $965 million [7]. Segment Performance - Digital Banking segment reported a pretax income of $1.2 billion, a 50% increase year-over-year, driven by lower provisions for credit losses [8]. - Total loans grew 4% year-over-year to $127 billion, with personal loans increasing by 9% [9]. - Payment Services segment's pretax income was $84 million, slightly down from the prior year [10]. Financial Position - As of September 30, 2024, total assets were $151.59 billion, with a liquidity portfolio of $24.80 billion [12]. - Borrowings decreased from $21.33 billion at the end of 2023 to $18.18 billion [13]. - Total equity rose from $14.83 billion at the end of 2023 to $17.26 billion [13]. Capital Deployment - Share repurchases are currently paused due to a merger with Capital One Financial Corporation, valued at $35.3 billion [14]. - A quarterly cash dividend of 70 cents per share has been declared, expected to remain at this level [14]. Guidance - Loan growth is anticipated to be in the low to mid-single digits, with a net interest margin forecasted between 11.2% and 11.4% [15]. - Operating expenses are expected to rise mid-single digits from $6 billion in 2023, excluding merger-related costs [15]. Market Outlook - Recent estimates for Discover have shown an upward trend, indicating positive market sentiment [16][18]. - The stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A, reflecting strong performance across growth, momentum, and value metrics [17].