Wex (WEX) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 23. On the other h ...

Global Payments, Inc. GPN are trading higher in Tuesday's extended sessions after the Financial Times reported that activist hedge fund Elliott Management acquired a significant position in the company. The Details: Elliot's demands and size of the fund's stake could not be determined, according to the Financial Times. Read Next: Rare Earth Royalty: Meet The Power Players Shaping The IndustryNews of the stake comes as Global Payments seeks to regain investor confidence following its $24.2 billion purchase o ...

A sector-by-sector look at the public companies holding over 657,000 BTCSince the historic institutional pivot of 2020, Bitcoin has steadily made its way from fringe asset to mainstream corporate treasury tool. What started with bold moves by MicroStrategy and Tesla has now evolved into a growing list of public companies — spanning industries from crypto mining and fintech to healthcare and retail — that hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets.As of mid-2025, 135 publicly traded companies collectively hold ove ...

CHONGQING, CHINA - APRIL 23: In this photo illustration, the logo of Visa Inc. is displayed on a ... More smartphone screen, with a stock market chart in the background, reflecting financial market activity and investor sentiment, on April 23, 2025, in Chongqing, China. (Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)Getty Images Visa (NYSE:V) is scheduled to announce its Q3 FY’25 earnings on July 29 (September fiscal year). According to consensus estimates, revenues are anticipated to increase by approximate ...

Group 1 - The article discusses the investment potential of PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), initially rated as a "Strong Buy" and later adjusted to a "Buy" due to positive sentiment towards the new management [1] - The investment group Beyond the Wall Investing offers features such as a fundamentals-based portfolio, weekly analysis from institutional investors, and alerts for short-term trade ideas based on technical signals [1] - The analyst has a beneficial long position in PYPL shares, indicating confidence in the stock's future performance [1]

Core Viewpoint - Apple, Visa, and Mastercard achieved a legal victory in an antitrust lawsuit, with a federal judge dismissing the case due to insufficient evidence from the plaintiffs [2][3]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings - U.S. District Judge David Dugan ruled that the merchants did not provide adequate evidence to support their claims against Apple for not launching a competing payment network [2]. - The judge allowed the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuit to strengthen their claims, despite finding their initial allegations to be circumstantial [3]. - The defendants, Apple, Visa, and Mastercard, denied any wrongdoing and sought dismissal of the lawsuit [3]. Group 2: Allegations and Defense - The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accused Apple of conspiring with Visa and Mastercard to avoid competition, claiming that Visa and Mastercard paid Apple a significant portion of transaction fees for purchases made using Apple Pay [4]. - The plaintiffs alleged that these payments constituted a "very large and ongoing cash bribe" amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars annually [5]. - Apple contended that the complaint did not demonstrate any intention to enter the payments network market to compete with Visa or Mastercard [5]. Group 3: Industry Context - The ruling comes at a time when mobile wallets are increasingly influencing consumer in-store transactions globally, accounting for 21% of all in-store transactions, reflecting a 10.9% increase since 2022 [6].

Core Insights - Mastercard's shares have increased by 12.7% over the past three months, outperforming Visa and the broader industry, which rose by 9.2% and 10.1% respectively, while American Express surged by 28.4% [2][7] - The company is navigating significant legal and regulatory challenges, particularly concerning interchange and network fees, which are critical to its revenue model [5][6] - Mastercard is proactively integrating stablecoins into its payment ecosystem, aiming to enhance transaction efficiency while maintaining its competitive edge [9][10] Regulatory and Competitive Landscape - Recent rulings in the U.K. have deemed Mastercard and Visa's interchange fees as violations of European competition laws, potentially leading to regulatory caps [5] - In the U.S., the Department of Justice has accused Mastercard and Visa of overcharging merchants, with proposed legislation that could disrupt Mastercard's pricing power [6] - The company faces increasing competition from fintechs and major retailers exploring alternative payment systems, including stablecoin-based solutions [8] Financial Performance and Growth Drivers - Mastercard's forward P/E ratio stands at 32.32X, above the industry average of 22.87X, indicating strong investor confidence [12] - The company's Value-Added Services have seen revenue growth of 17.7% in 2023, with continued growth projected for 2024 and 2025 [15] - In Q1 2025, Mastercard generated $2.4 billion in operating cash flow, up from $1.7 billion a year ago, and repurchased shares worth $2.5 billion [16] Future Outlook - Analyst estimates suggest EPS growth of 9.5% in 2025 and 16.6% in 2026, with revenue growth expected at 13.1% and 11.9% respectively [17] - The company has consistently outperformed earnings expectations, with an average earnings surprise of 3.7% over the last four quarters [17] - Mastercard's ability to innovate and adapt to market changes positions it favorably for long-term growth despite current challenges [18][19]

Investors might want to bet on MasterCard (MA) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). An upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices -- has triggered this rating change.A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.The power of a changing ...

Core Insights - Mastercard is a leading corporate giant with a market cap of nearly $500 billion, ranking as the 16th-largest American company by market cap, surpassing major financial institutions like Bank of America and American Express [1] Business Model - Mastercard operates a payment processing business model, acting as a middleman that facilitates transactions between merchants, cardholders, and card-issuing institutions, charging fees for network usage [3] - The company generated $29 billion in revenue over the last 12 months, reflecting a 12% increase from $26 billion the previous year, driven by growing global payment volumes and a shift towards cashless transactions, particularly in emerging markets [4] Financial Performance - Mastercard's operating margin has improved from 53% to 58% over the last decade, with net income rising from $3.7 billion to over $13.1 billion, benefiting from economies of scale [5] - The stock has delivered a total return of 518% over the past 10 years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's total return of 246% during the same period [7] Shareholder Value Initiatives - The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, yielding 0.55%, and has announced a $12 billion share repurchase plan to enhance shareholder value by reducing outstanding shares [8] - Mastercard generated $14.3 billion in free cash flow over the last 12 months, equating to $15.53 per share, supporting its dividend and buyback initiatives [9]

Core Points - PayPal has partnered with Taco Bell to allow customers to set PayPal and Venmo as default payment options in the Taco Bell app and website, enhancing the checkout experience [1][4] - Customers using PayPal for purchases over $5 can earn 20% cash back, with a maximum cash back of $10 per transaction, available until July 31, 2025 [2][3][7] Company Overview - PayPal has been a leader in global commerce for over 25 years, providing secure and innovative payment solutions across approximately 200 markets [5] - Taco Bell has been serving innovative Mexican-inspired food for over 62 years and has received multiple accolades for its brand influence and innovation [6]