Core Viewpoint - The increasing prevalence of credit card usage is highlighted, with Mastercard identified as a company poised for significant long-term growth alongside Visa [1]. Company Analysis - Mastercard is recognized as a heavily undervalued company with substantial upside potential, making it an attractive option for long-term growth dividend investors [1]. Investment Strategy - The focus is on long-term compounding through investments in undervalued companies, particularly those that offer dividends, to achieve financial independence [1].

Group 1 - Mastercard is identified as a high-growth compounder stock that has recently become reasonably valued following a sell-off, leading to a Buy rating recommendation [1] - The investment strategy focuses on GARP (growth at a reasonable price) stocks while also exploring opportunities in other areas, with no specified time horizon for investments [2] - The analyst has developed market-beating algorithms using Python to identify attractive investment opportunities and has been investing since 2016, with experience in analysis and news writing [2] Group 2 - The analyst holds a beneficial long position in Mastercard shares through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives, indicating a personal investment interest [3] - The article expresses the analyst's own opinions and is not influenced by compensation from any company mentioned [3]

Core Viewpoint - Mastercard is a leading payment processor that connects buyers and sellers, operating primarily as a financial technology company rather than issuing credit cards directly [2][3] Group 1: Business Overview - In 2024, Mastercard processed $9.8 trillion in transactions, marking an 11% increase from 2023, which resulted in a 12% revenue increase and a 17% earnings advance [3] - The United States is the largest market for Mastercard, processing $793 billion in transactions in Q4 2024, up 9% from Q4 2023, driven by increased card usage and online shopping [4] - Transaction volume in the U.S. grew by 12% year over year in Q4, indicating faster growth in other business lines, particularly international operations [5] Group 2: International Growth - Transaction volume outside the U.S. rose by 13% to nearly $1.8 trillion, highlighting significant growth opportunities in foreign markets [5][6] - Foreign operations present a larger market compared to the U.S., with the potential for higher transaction and conversion fees when cards are used internationally [7] - The best growth opportunities for Mastercard are likely to be found outside the U.S., as the shift toward digital transactions continues [8]

Core Viewpoint - Investing in dividend stocks is a resilient strategy, especially during potential bear markets, as regular payouts can mitigate losses [1] Group 1: Apple - Apple is a significant holding in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio and is praised for its strong business model and economic moat [3][4] - The company has built customer loyalty and high switching costs, making it difficult for users to transition to competitors [4] - Apple generates substantial revenue and profits, with over 2 billion devices in circulation and more than a billion paid subscriptions [5] - The services segment is the fastest-growing unit, providing multiple long-term growth opportunities [6][7] - Despite a market cap above $3 trillion, Apple has a forward dividend yield of 0.5% and has increased its payout by 92.3% over the past decade, with a conservative cash payout ratio of 14% [8] Group 2: Visa - Visa is the leading payment network globally, with over 4 billion cards in circulation and acceptance by more than 150 million businesses [9] - The company benefits from a network effect, where increased card ownership leads to more businesses accepting Visa, resulting in growing revenue and profits [10] - The trend of cash displacement in favor of cards provides a long-term growth tailwind, especially in markets outside the U.S. [11][12] - Visa has increased its dividends by 391.7% in the past decade, with a forward yield of 0.7% and a cash payout ratio of 22.6%, indicating room for further dividend increases [13]

Market Overview - The Nasdaq Composite index has fallen over 11% since the beginning of the year, raising concerns about the economic outlook due to trade wars and tariffs [1] - Despite the downturn, this period may present opportunities for long-term investments [1] Investment Opportunities Amgen - Amgen's shares have increased by 17% in 2025, yet it remains a relatively inexpensive healthcare stock, trading at just under 15 times next year's estimated earnings [3] - The company reported a 19% growth in revenue last year, reaching $33.4 billion, with significant contributions from blockbuster drugs like Repatha and Prolia, which generated $6.6 billion in sales [4] - Amgen is developing a promising injectable GLP-1 treatment for weight loss, MariTide, which could enhance its stock value upon approval [5] PayPal - PayPal's growth has been modest, with a 4% increase in the last quarter of 2024, attributed to a challenging economic environment [7] - Despite a 2% year-over-year decline in earnings to $4.1 billion, the brand remains strong and trusted among consumers [7] - The stock is currently trading at 13 times its estimated future earnings and has dropped over 24% this year, presenting a potential recovery opportunity as economic conditions improve [8] Baidu - Baidu is the cheapest stock on the list, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 10, and its stock price has risen by 8% this year [9] - The company is heavily investing in artificial intelligence, with its AI chatbot Ernie Bot reaching 200 million users and plans to release an updated model this year [10] - Despite a 1% decline in sales to $18.2 billion in 2024, Baidu's AI cloud business is growing at 24%, indicating strong future growth potential [10][11]

In 2024, Mastercard processed $9.8 trillion worth of transactions, an 11% increase from 2023. In 2023, transaction value increased 10%. And in 2022, the value of transactions increased 12%. These are impressive growth numbers, and it highlights why investors like Mastercard stock. Mastercard (MA -3.04%) is an industry-leading payment processor that is growing strongly as cash is replaced by cards. The shares have been rising steadily, more than doubling during the past five years. There's just one problem: ...

Core Insights - Visa has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 over the last decade, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6% compared to the S&P 500's 12.6% [1][2] - An investment of $25,000 in Visa stock on March 23, 2015, would now be worth approximately $137,000, factoring in price appreciation and reinvested dividends [2][3] - Visa's current annual dividend is $2.36 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of about 0.7% at the current share price [2] Business Performance - Visa operates a vast payment network that processes tens of billions of dollars in transactions daily, reporting $4.1 trillion in payment volume for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 [3] - This payment volume generated $9.5 billion in revenue and $5.1 billion in net income for the same quarter [3] - The company's business model is characterized as simple, steady, and lucrative, making it a wise investment choice for over a decade [4]

Company Overview - ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW) is a global company specializing in payment solutions for financial institutions, merchants, and billers [1] - The company operates in 94 countries, indicating a broad international presence and a diverse portfolio of platforms [1] Services Offered - ACI Worldwide provides a range of financial services, enhancing its role in the payment solutions industry [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, revenue increased by 23.5% to $58.4 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased by 43.3% to $9.6 million [8] - Adjusted EBITDA margins improved by 230 basis points to 16.5% [8] - Fourth quarter total revenues of $15.6 million increased by $1.9 million or 14% compared to the same period last year [21] - Net income for the fourth quarter was $1.4 million or $0.02 per fully diluted share, down from $5.6 million or $0.05 per fully diluted share in the same period last year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The patient affordability business grew 212% year-over-year, reaching $12.7 million compared to $4.1 million in 2023 [9] - Claims processed in the patient affordability segment increased by 272%, with 33 net programs added, representing a 77% increase over the previous year [9] - Plasma donor compensation business contributed $43.9 million in revenue for the year, a 4.6% increase over 2023's $42 million [11] - Fourth quarter plasma revenue decreased by 6.2% to $10.8 million, primarily due to oversupply issues [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company exited 2024 with 480 plasma centers, an increase of 16 centers over the previous year, and anticipates adding 10 to 15 centers in 2025 [11] - The average revenue per plasma center decreased by 9.5% to $7,510 [18] - Fourth quarter pharma revenues of $12.7 million accounted for 21.7% of total revenue, up from 8.6% during the same period last year [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The long-term strategy focuses on expanding solutions to create new revenue streams, particularly in maturing segments [13] - The acquisition of Gamma Innovation LLC aims to enhance capabilities in plasma donor and pharmaceutical patient engagement [14] - The company plans to enter the high-margin software-as-a-service market, significantly expanding its total addressable market [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects the patient affordability business to sustain its strong growth trajectory in 2025, projecting to at least double in revenue [10] - The plasma business is facing challenges due to oversupply and increased donation yields, which are expected to persist [12] - Guidance for 2025 anticipates total revenues between $68.5 million and $70 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 17.5% to 20% [26] Other Important Information - The company exited the year with $10.8 million in unrestricted cash and zero debt, a decrease of $6.3 million from 2023 [24] - The company repurchased 36,700 shares in the fourth quarter for approximately $135,000 [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you help us understand the strength in Q4 and the contributions from existing vs. new pharma patient affordability programs? - Management noted that 14 new programs were launched in the first quarter of 2025, with 10 added in Q4 2024, indicating strong revenue visibility from historical programs [35][37] Question: What is the marketing strategy behind the Gamma acquisition? - The acquisition is aimed at enhancing engagement tools and capabilities for both plasma and pharmaceutical businesses, with no revenue from Gamma factored into guidance [39][41] Question: Can you provide a deeper dive into the issues causing the slowdown in the plasma business? - Management explained that oversupply is due to post-COVID overproduction and increased plasma yields, leading to lower donations and compensation [50][51] Question: How many new programs are anticipated in the patient affordability segment this year? - Management indicated that they aim to at least double the number of programs added last year, with 14 already added in Q1 2025 [66] Question: Can you quantify the cash portion of the purchase price related to Gamma? - The cash portion will be paid out over five years, with the company maintaining a cautious approach to its cash position [73]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, revenue increased by 23.5% to $58.4 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased by 43.3% to $9.6 million [8] - Adjusted EBITDA margins improved by 230 basis points to 16.5% [8] - Fourth quarter total revenues of $15.6 million increased by $1.9 million or 14% compared to the same period last year [21] - Gross profit margin for the fourth quarter was 58.9% versus 52.2% during the same period last year [22] - Net income for the fourth quarter was $1.4 million or $0.02 per fully diluted share, down from $5.6 million or $0.05 per fully diluted share in the same period last year [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The patient affordability business grew 212% year-over-year, reaching $12.7 million compared to $4.1 million in 2023 [9] - Claims processed in the patient affordability segment increased by 272%, and 33 net programs were added, representing a 77% increase over the previous year [9] - Plasma donor compensation business contributed $43.9 million in revenue for the year, a 4.6% increase over 2023's $42 million [11] - Fourth quarter plasma revenue decreased by 6.2% to $10.8 million, primarily due to oversupply issues [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company exited 2024 with 480 plasma centers, an increase of 16 centers over the previous year, and anticipates adding 10 to 15 centers in 2025 [11] - The plasma business maintained a market share of just under 40% [18] - Fourth quarter pharma revenues of $12.7 million accounted for 21.7% of total revenue, up from 8.6% during the same period last year [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The long-term strategy focuses on expanding the depth and breadth of solutions to create new revenue streams, particularly in maturing segments [13] - The acquisition of Gamma Innovation LLC aims to enhance capabilities in plasma donor and pharmaceutical patient engagement, marking entry into the high-margin software-as-a-service market [14] - The company expects to at least double its patient affordability revenue in 2025 [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged a slowdown in the plasma business due to excess inventory and expects these conditions to persist through at least the remainder of 2025 [12] - The guidance for 2025 anticipates total revenues in the range of $68.5 million to $70 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 17.5% to 20% [26] - Management expressed confidence in the patient affordability business continuing to grow significantly, projecting at least 100% year-over-year growth [26] Other Important Information - The company exited the year with $10.8 million in unrestricted cash and zero debt, a decrease of $6.3 million over 2023 [24] - The company repurchased 36,700 shares in the fourth quarter for approximately $135,000, totaling 136,700 shares for the year at approximately $495,000 [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Understanding the strength in Q4 and 2025 - Management noted that 14 new programs were launched in 2025, with 10 added in Q4 2024, contributing to revenue visibility [35][37] Question: Marketing strategy for Gamma acquisition - The acquisition is aimed at enhancing engagement tools and capabilities for both plasma and pharmaceutical businesses, with no revenue from Gamma factored into guidance [39][41] Question: Issues causing slowdown in plasma business - Management explained the oversupply in the plasma collection industry due to overproduction post-COVID and increased plasma yields, leading to lower donations and compensation [50][51] Question: Anticipated additions to patient affordability programs - Management indicated that they aim to at least double the number of programs added in 2025, following a 77% increase in the previous year [66] Question: Cash portion of Gamma purchase price - The cash portion of the purchase price will be paid out over five years, with no specific amount disclosed [73]