Market Overview - The S&P 500 ended a six-day winning streak, closing down 0.3%, with all major indices declining; the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%, small caps dropped 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.5% [2] - The JOLTS report indicated job openings at 7.437 million, slightly below the expected 7.51 million, suggesting a weaker labor market [3] Earnings Reports - Starbucks reported a miss on same-store sales in the U.S. but achieved its first sales gains in China since 2023, resulting in a 3% increase in after-hours trading [4] - Visa's earnings report showed a miss on income but a beat on revenues; the stock fell over 2.5% in after-hours trading, but consumer spending remains resilient, which is a positive sign for the economy [4] Economic Indicators - The forecast for 2Q GDP growth is 2.4%, a significant improvement from the earlier forecast of -0.5% [5] - The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, with a 97% probability according to the CME Fed Watch Tool; a potential rate cut could occur in September with a 65% chance [5] Upcoming Earnings - Major companies including Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Robinhood are set to report earnings, with a focus on Meta and Microsoft [6] - Microsoft has made significant investments in AI and is expected to show growth in its cloud computing business, following Alphabet's strong performance in these areas [6][7] - Meta has invested over $14 billion in AI and is focusing on advertising revenue and progress in smart glasses, having partnered with Ray-Ban and Oakley [7][8] Upcoming Economic Data - The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, will be released soon, followed by earnings reports from Amazon and Apple, and the July employment report [9]

Group 1: Company Overview - Visa is a payment processor in the financial sector, collecting small fees for facilitating transactions via its branded cards [2] - Costco operates as a warehouse club retailer and issues credit cards within the Visa system, charging an annual membership fee for shopping [5] Group 2: Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, Visa processed 60.7 billion transactions, a 9% year-over-year increase, resulting in a revenue of $9.6 billion, also up 9% [3] - Costco's revenue in the fiscal Q3 2025 increased by 8% to nearly $62 billion, with membership fees contributing significantly to operating income [5] Group 3: Growth Potential - Both Visa and Costco are well-managed companies with strong growth prospects; Visa benefits from the shift to digital transactions, while Costco is expanding its store base due to high demand [6] Group 4: Valuation Concerns - Both companies are currently considered expensive, with Visa's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio about 5% above its five-year average, while Costco's is approximately 25% above [9][10] - Visa's dividend yield is 0.7%, and Costco's is less than 0.6%, indicating limited income generation for value investors [8] Group 5: Investment Considerations - Visa appears to be the better value option compared to Costco for growth investors, given its relatively lower valuation metrics [10] - Caution is advised for investors, as economic downturns could negatively impact both companies [12]