Group 1 - The focus is on an area that has been overlooked by the bull market, facing pressure from investor concerns [1] - The investment strategy emphasizes undervalued growth stocks and high-quality dividend growers, highlighting the importance of sustained profitability over valuation [1] - The portfolio is managed publicly on eToro, allowing others to replicate real-time investment decisions [1] Group 2 - The analyst has a beneficial long position in the shares of MA, indicating confidence in the stock [2] - The article expresses personal opinions and is not influenced by compensation from companies mentioned [2]

Core Insights - The article discusses the journey of an individual investor towards financial independence through dividend growth investing, highlighting the importance of learning in both life and investing [1]. Group 1: Investor Background - The investor has been active in the market since September 2017 and has a long-standing interest in dividend investing since 2009 [1]. - The investor runs a blog called "Kody's Dividends," which documents their journey and serves as a platform for sharing insights on dividend growth stocks [1]. Group 2: Community Engagement - The investor is a contributor to multiple financial platforms, including Seeking Alpha, Sure Dividend, The Dividend Kings, and iREIT+Hoya Capital, indicating a strong engagement with the investment community [1]. - The blog has played a significant role in connecting the investor with the Seeking Alpha community as an analyst [1].

RT s4mmy (@S4mmyEth)Everyone is looking for the next Plasma, but it’ll likely have distinct fundamentals.USDai is a synthetic dollar that earns yield from AI hardware and compute.AI will have another leg up, it’s just waiting for the next catalyst; stablecoin payment rails could offer just that.Why do you think Tether revealed its AI initiative recently?Mastercard and VISA also rolled out Agentic infrastructure.Others to keep an eye on include @gaib_ai @AethirCloud and several more are mentioned in this art ...

Welcome back. As we continue to monitor uncertainty around tariffs, inflation, the labor market, how's the consumer holding up. Here to discuss is Mastercard Economic Institute's chief economist, Michelle Meyer.Recently releasing a forecast for the holiday season, expecting retail sales to grow by 3.6%. Welcome. It's good to have you.>> Thank you. Good to be here. >> So, how does that compare 3.6%.What does it say about where we are in consumer spending. >> It's pretty a solid growth rate. Um, and actually ...

Consumer Spending Outlook - The Mastercard Economic Institute forecasts a 3.6% growth in retail sales for the holiday season, which is consistent with spending trends observed over the summer months [1][2] - Last year's holiday spending growth was 4.1%, driven by high volumes and disinflation in many categories, while this year presents more pricing challenges for consumers [3][5] E-commerce vs. In-store Spending - E-commerce retail spending is expected to grow by 7.9%, significantly outpacing the just over 2% growth for in-store shopping, indicating a shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping [6][7] Consumer Demographics and Spending Power - Spending is increasingly driven by high-end consumers, supported by wealth gains in markets and real estate, which have created a positive wealth effect for upper-income households [8][9] - The overall household balance sheets are in good shape, with serious delinquency rates trending slightly lower, suggesting consumers are well-equipped to manage spending this season [12] Labor Market Dynamics - Job creation has slowed, but the labor market remains balanced with low firing rates, contributing to a steady unemployment rate [14] - The impact of technological advancements, particularly AI, on the job market is a topic of debate, with potential structural changes expected rather than cyclical dynamics [15][16]

Core Insights - Mastercard has expanded its partnership with Corpay to enhance its near real-time cross-border payments across 22 additional markets, tapping into the growing global B2B money movement projected to exceed $250 trillion by 2027 [1][8] Group 1: Partnership and Investment - Mastercard invested approximately $300 million for a 3% stake in Corpay's cross-border business, strengthening operational ties and aligning with its focus on international transactions, which saw a 15% year-over-year increase in cross-border volumes in Q2 [2][8] - The partnership with Corpay addresses the demand for faster settlement, better fee transparency, and predictable currency conversions, positioning Mastercard as a solutions provider [3] Group 2: Market Dynamics - Cross-border transactions yield higher margins compared to domestic ones, and each new market entry enhances profitable scale for Mastercard [4] - Competitors like Visa and Western Union are also enhancing their cross-border payment capabilities, with Visa focusing on real-time transfers and Western Union modernizing its remittance services [5][6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Projections - Mastercard's shares have increased by 7.3% year-to-date, outperforming the broader industry growth of 0.1% [7] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects an 11.8% rise in Mastercard's earnings for 2025, followed by a 16.5% growth in 2026 [12]

Core Insights - PayOS has successfully completed a landmark agentic payment transaction using a Mastercard Agentic Token, marking a significant milestone in the agentic commerce space [1] - The transaction utilized Mastercard Agent Pay, which enhances tokenization capabilities for secure and transparent payment processes, ensuring user consent, authentication, and fraud protection [2][4] - PayOS aims to onboard both agentic and traditional customers, leveraging network tokenization and advanced processing capabilities to enhance payment experiences [4] Company Overview - PayOS is a card-native payments and services platform designed for the agentic era, focusing on managing payment risk, preventing fraud, and improving user experience [5] - The platform enables AI-driven checkout through secure, network-issued payment tokens, facilitating seamless transactions across global websites [5][6] - PayOS offers value-added services that enhance user experience and address payments risk and fraud, alongside infrastructure for efficient agent monetization and bill payments [6]

Plume 正式加入了 Mastercard 的 Start Path 计划是全球仅有的 五家公司之一接入 Mastercard 的全球网络支持将 RWA 打造得如同传统支付一样顺畅传统金融巨头投资 RWA，是构建合规区块链、连接传统金融与 DeFi 的重要里程碑。Plume - RWAfi Chain (@plumenetwork):Plume has joined @Mastercard Start Path 💳We're proud to be one of five startups selected, shaping the future of digital assets.Leading RWA adoption with onchain infrastructure for institutions such as @BlackRock, @blackstone, @apolloglobal, and @InvescoUS https://t.co/1F3fW2mEZO ...

RT La Familia (@LaFamilia_so)Solana sigue cumpliendo 🚢🚢🚢Esta semana dimos la bienvenida nuevamente a la competencia de startups más grande en el mundo de las criptomonedas, cuando los desarrolladores de Solana ingresaron a la arena para el Cypherpunk Hackathon de@Colosseum , compitiendo por $2.5 millones en premios y financiación.Te contamos más aspectos destacados de Solana de la semana pasada:- El Banco Nacional de Kazajstán lanzó la primera moneda estable KZTE respaldada por tenge en Solana, en asociació ...

分组1: American Express - American Express reported a record revenue of $17.9 billion in Q2, reflecting a 9% year-over-year growth, with adjusted EPS rising 17% [1] - The company operates a comprehensive consumerism ecosystem, serving as both card issuer and payment processor, with attractive perks that some members pay up to $900 annually for [1] - American Express has become Berkshire Hathaway's second-largest stock holding, making up 17% of its publicly traded equities portfolio [2] 分组2: Kroger - Kroger operates 2,731 stores with annual sales around $150 billion, and while its growth is modest at about 3%, it maintains a consistent profit record [7] - The company has doubled its bottom line over the past decade and has increased its quarterly dividend payment by 250% during the same period [10] - Kroger's stock buybacks have halved the number of outstanding shares, contributing to significant shareholder value [10] 分组3: UnitedHealth Group - UnitedHealth Group has faced significant challenges, including a 60% stock price drop from peak to trough due to earnings shortfalls and regulatory scrutiny [12][14] - Despite consistent top-line growth for over a decade, the company's operating profits and EBITDA have stagnated, raising concerns about its future value [15][16] - The healthcare industry is experiencing increasing regulatory and pricing pressures, which may impact UnitedHealth's performance [16]