The Motley Fool·2026-02-08 12:45Core Insights - Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio includes significant stakes in Visa and Mastercard, valued at $2.7 billion and $2.2 billion respectively, representing 1.5% of its total portfolio [4] - Visa and Mastercard are considered safe investments due to their strong market positions and the powerful network effects they benefit from [5][8] Company Overview - Visa's current market capitalization is $632 billion, with a gross margin of 78.02% and a dividend yield of 0.74% [6][7] - Mastercard's market capitalization stands at $493 billion, with a gross margin of 96.58% and a dividend yield of 0.57% [9] Financial Performance - Both Visa and Mastercard have demonstrated double-digit annualized revenue and diluted earnings-per-share growth over the past decade [7] - Despite recent innovations in the payments sector, both companies continue to report strong financial results [7] Competitive Position - The competitive positions of Visa and Mastercard are described as nearly impossible to disrupt, providing investors with confidence [8] - Both companies have outperformed the S&P 500 index over the past decade, although they have lagged behind in the last five years [10] Growth Prospects - The ongoing shift towards cashless transactions suggests that Visa and Mastercard will continue to see significant revenue and profit growth in the future [11] - Current valuations show Visa with a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.9 and Mastercard at 32.9, indicating that while they are not cheap, they remain attractive for portfolio stability [12]