The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Mastercard, Netflix, Coca-Cola, Berkshire Hathaway and Medtronic
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 17 2024
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Zacks Research Daily: Zacks.com features stocks like Mastercard Inc., Netflix, Inc., The Coca-Cola Co., Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and Medtronic plc in their Analyst Blog.
- Q1 Earnings Season Update: Q1 earnings for 40 S&P 500 members show a +10.7% growth in earnings and +4.5% in revenues, with 82.5% beating EPS estimates and 65% beating revenue estimates.
- Earnings Trends: Total earnings for Q1 are expected to be up +3.8% from last year, with +3.9% higher revenues, based on results from 40 index members and estimates for others.
- Stock Analysis - Mastercard: Mastercard's shares have outperformed the industry due to acquisitions and digital shift, but high expenses may impact margins.
- Stock Analysis - Netflix: Netflix has seen growth due to subscriber base and content portfolio, but faces competition and financial concerns.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy MA?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on MA
Wall Street analysts forecast MA stock price to rise
28 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 493.750
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
Current: 493.750
Low
500.00
Averages
660.00
High
739.00
About MA
Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company in the global payments industry. The Company connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses and other organizations worldwide by enabling electronic payments and making those payment transactions secure and accessible. It provides a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, including Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus. It operates a payments network that provides choice and flexibility for consumers, merchants and its customers. Through its proprietary global payments network, it switches (authorizes, clears and settles) payment transactions. Its additional payments capabilities include automated clearing house (ACH) transactions (both batch and real-time account-based payments). It offers security solutions, consumer acquisition and engagement, business and market insights, gateway, processing and open banking, among other services and solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Solana Surpasses Ethereum in Weekly DEX Volume
- DEX Volume Leadership: In April 2026, Solana's weekly DEX volume reached $11.49 billion, surpassing Ethereum's $7.62 billion, indicating Solana's advantage in user engagement and transaction costs, which may attract more users to its platform.
- XRP Asset Growth: The XRP Ledger crossed $3 billion in tokenized real-world assets by late April 2026, marking a 59% increase in just 30 days, and successfully completed the first cross-border tokenized Treasury settlement in May, highlighting its rapid development and market acceptance in fintech.
- Solana Tech Upgrade: The Alpenglow upgrade for Solana is currently in validator testing, aiming to reduce transaction finality to 150 milliseconds, a speed that would position it ahead in payment infrastructure, potentially driving widespread adoption of real-time financial products.
- Ethereum's Market Dominance: Despite advancements by Solana and XRP, Ethereum still dominates the DeFi total value locked (TVL) with $45.5 billion, showcasing its strong advantages in institutional capital and developer infrastructure, which remain unchallenged by its competitors.
See More
Reasons Behind Buffett's Hold on American Express
- Portfolio Concentration: Under CEO Greg Abel's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway has streamlined its $330 billion equity portfolio from 42 to 29 high-conviction stocks, demonstrating a strong commitment to quality assets that is expected to enhance investment returns.
- Divestiture of Smaller Holdings: Abel sold off several smaller positions, including Visa and Mastercard, with Visa accounting for 1% of the total portfolio, indicating decisive action in optimizing the investment strategy, which may strengthen overall financial health.
- American Express Competitive Edge: American Express has successfully withstood economic pressures with its unique membership model and affluent customer focus, achieving an 18% year-over-year increase in fee revenue, which accounted for 14% of total revenue, showcasing the resilience and appeal of its business model.
- Outperformance Against Peers: Over the past five years of macroeconomic volatility, American Express has outperformed both Visa and Mastercard by more than double, reflecting its durable competitive advantage and solidifying its value as a reliable investment.
See More
Analysis of American Express's Competitive Advantage
- Significant Competitive Edge: American Express's unique business model has allowed its stock to outperform Visa, Mastercard, and the S&P 500 over the past five years, demonstrating its durable competitive advantage in the credit card industry.
- Executive Strategic Shift: Under the leadership of new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway has concentrated its $330 billion equity portfolio from 42 to 29 high-conviction stocks, selling off shares in Visa and Mastercard while retaining American Express, indicating a strategic focus on more compelling investments.
- Membership Revenue Growth: In Q1 2026, 70% of new products from American Express were fee-based, with annual fee revenue increasing by 18% year-over-year, accounting for 14% of total revenue, highlighting the effectiveness of its membership model in enhancing customer loyalty and revenue stability.
- Economic Resilience: By targeting affluent customers, American Express has shown resilience even under economic pressure, and its proprietary banking model allows for better control over operations and revenue streams, particularly advantageous in a high-interest-rate environment.
See More
Buffett's Transition Leaves Berkshire Hathaway's Future Bright
- Buffett's Transformational Success: Under Buffett's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway evolved from a struggling textile manufacturer in 1965 to a $1 trillion conglomerate, showcasing exceptional investment acumen and management prowess that will continue to influence global markets.
- Successor's Strategic Continuity: New CEO Greg Abel, who worked alongside Buffett for over 20 years, is expected to maintain the investment strategy focused on stable growth and shareholder-friendly companies, ensuring Berkshire's long-term success.
- Apple Investment Returns: Berkshire's investment in Apple reached $38 billion from 2016 to 2023, with a valuation exceeding $170 billion by early 2024; despite selling 75% of its stake, it still represents 21.5% of its portfolio, with projected dividends of $243.9 million in 2026.
- Dividend Contributions from Coca-Cola and American Express: Coca-Cola and American Express are set to contribute $848 million and $556.4 million in dividends to Berkshire, respectively, highlighting the company's strong cash flow and long-term investment returns, further solidifying its financial foundation.
See More
Buffett's Dividend Investment Strategy
- Dividend Potential: Berkshire Hathaway is projected to earn $243.9 million in dividends from Apple in 2026, reflecting its holding of 227.9 million shares, which underscores the company's strong capability in generating stable income and solidifies its investment position in the tech sector.
- American Express Returns: American Express is expected to contribute $556.4 million in dividends to Berkshire in 2026, based on its holding of 151.6 million shares, demonstrating the company's robust performance in the financial services sector and reflecting Buffett's confidence in long-term investments.
- Coca-Cola's Consistent Returns: Coca-Cola is projected to deliver $848 million in dividends to Berkshire in 2026, based on its 400 million shares, indicating the company's strong cash flow and shareholder return strategy in the consumer goods sector, which further enhances Berkshire's portfolio diversity.
- Investment Strategy Continuity: New CEO Greg Abel is likely to continue Buffett's investment strategy, focusing on companies with steady growth and shareholder-friendly initiatives, which will help Berkshire achieve sustainable capital appreciation and dividend income in the future.
See More
Impact of Stablecoins on Payment Industry
- Rise of Stablecoins: Stablecoins have gained popularity due to their peg to the U.S. dollar, enabling low-cost, instant transfers over blockchain, posing a potential threat to PayPal, which saw its active accounts grow from 426 million in 2021 to only 439 million by 2025 amid slowing growth.
- Credit Card Giants' Response: Visa and Mastercard do not issue cards directly but rely on banks, generating revenue primarily through 1%-3% swipe fees; while stablecoins may pressure these fees, most businesses prefer to accept these widely used cards to maintain their customer base.
- Challenges for PayPal: PayPal's revenue model, which relies on transaction fees, is undermined by stablecoins offering instant transfers and lower costs, placing it at a disadvantage in an increasingly competitive digital payment landscape.
- Market Outlook Analysis: Although PayPal launched its own stablecoin, PayPal USD, to counter competition, this indicates a lowering of market entry barriers, suggesting that more stablecoin-powered payment platforms may emerge, further fragmenting market share.
See More
Solana Surpasses Ethereum in Weekly DEX Volume
- DEX Volume Leadership: In April 2026, Solana's weekly DEX volume reached $11.49 billion, surpassing Ethereum's $7.62 billion, indicating Solana's advantage in user engagement and transaction costs, which may attract more users to its platform.
- XRP Asset Growth: The XRP Ledger crossed $3 billion in tokenized real-world assets by late April 2026, marking a 59% increase in just 30 days, and successfully completed the first cross-border tokenized Treasury settlement in May, highlighting its rapid development and market acceptance in fintech.
- Solana Tech Upgrade: The Alpenglow upgrade for Solana is currently in validator testing, aiming to reduce transaction finality to 150 milliseconds, a speed that would position it ahead in payment infrastructure, potentially driving widespread adoption of real-time financial products.
- Ethereum's Market Dominance: Despite advancements by Solana and XRP, Ethereum still dominates the DeFi total value locked (TVL) with $45.5 billion, showcasing its strong advantages in institutional capital and developer infrastructure, which remain unchallenged by its competitors.
See More
Reasons Behind Buffett's Hold on American Express
- Portfolio Concentration: Under CEO Greg Abel's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway has streamlined its $330 billion equity portfolio from 42 to 29 high-conviction stocks, demonstrating a strong commitment to quality assets that is expected to enhance investment returns.
- Divestiture of Smaller Holdings: Abel sold off several smaller positions, including Visa and Mastercard, with Visa accounting for 1% of the total portfolio, indicating decisive action in optimizing the investment strategy, which may strengthen overall financial health.
- American Express Competitive Edge: American Express has successfully withstood economic pressures with its unique membership model and affluent customer focus, achieving an 18% year-over-year increase in fee revenue, which accounted for 14% of total revenue, showcasing the resilience and appeal of its business model.
- Outperformance Against Peers: Over the past five years of macroeconomic volatility, American Express has outperformed both Visa and Mastercard by more than double, reflecting its durable competitive advantage and solidifying its value as a reliable investment.
See More
Analysis of American Express's Competitive Advantage
- Significant Competitive Edge: American Express's unique business model has allowed its stock to outperform Visa, Mastercard, and the S&P 500 over the past five years, demonstrating its durable competitive advantage in the credit card industry.
- Executive Strategic Shift: Under the leadership of new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway has concentrated its $330 billion equity portfolio from 42 to 29 high-conviction stocks, selling off shares in Visa and Mastercard while retaining American Express, indicating a strategic focus on more compelling investments.
- Membership Revenue Growth: In Q1 2026, 70% of new products from American Express were fee-based, with annual fee revenue increasing by 18% year-over-year, accounting for 14% of total revenue, highlighting the effectiveness of its membership model in enhancing customer loyalty and revenue stability.
- Economic Resilience: By targeting affluent customers, American Express has shown resilience even under economic pressure, and its proprietary banking model allows for better control over operations and revenue streams, particularly advantageous in a high-interest-rate environment.
See More
Buffett's Transition Leaves Berkshire Hathaway's Future Bright
- Buffett's Transformational Success: Under Buffett's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway evolved from a struggling textile manufacturer in 1965 to a $1 trillion conglomerate, showcasing exceptional investment acumen and management prowess that will continue to influence global markets.
- Successor's Strategic Continuity: New CEO Greg Abel, who worked alongside Buffett for over 20 years, is expected to maintain the investment strategy focused on stable growth and shareholder-friendly companies, ensuring Berkshire's long-term success.
- Apple Investment Returns: Berkshire's investment in Apple reached $38 billion from 2016 to 2023, with a valuation exceeding $170 billion by early 2024; despite selling 75% of its stake, it still represents 21.5% of its portfolio, with projected dividends of $243.9 million in 2026.
- Dividend Contributions from Coca-Cola and American Express: Coca-Cola and American Express are set to contribute $848 million and $556.4 million in dividends to Berkshire, respectively, highlighting the company's strong cash flow and long-term investment returns, further solidifying its financial foundation.
See More
Buffett's Dividend Investment Strategy
- Dividend Potential: Berkshire Hathaway is projected to earn $243.9 million in dividends from Apple in 2026, reflecting its holding of 227.9 million shares, which underscores the company's strong capability in generating stable income and solidifies its investment position in the tech sector.
- American Express Returns: American Express is expected to contribute $556.4 million in dividends to Berkshire in 2026, based on its holding of 151.6 million shares, demonstrating the company's robust performance in the financial services sector and reflecting Buffett's confidence in long-term investments.
- Coca-Cola's Consistent Returns: Coca-Cola is projected to deliver $848 million in dividends to Berkshire in 2026, based on its 400 million shares, indicating the company's strong cash flow and shareholder return strategy in the consumer goods sector, which further enhances Berkshire's portfolio diversity.
- Investment Strategy Continuity: New CEO Greg Abel is likely to continue Buffett's investment strategy, focusing on companies with steady growth and shareholder-friendly initiatives, which will help Berkshire achieve sustainable capital appreciation and dividend income in the future.
See More
Impact of Stablecoins on Payment Industry
- Rise of Stablecoins: Stablecoins have gained popularity due to their peg to the U.S. dollar, enabling low-cost, instant transfers over blockchain, posing a potential threat to PayPal, which saw its active accounts grow from 426 million in 2021 to only 439 million by 2025 amid slowing growth.
- Credit Card Giants' Response: Visa and Mastercard do not issue cards directly but rely on banks, generating revenue primarily through 1%-3% swipe fees; while stablecoins may pressure these fees, most businesses prefer to accept these widely used cards to maintain their customer base.
- Challenges for PayPal: PayPal's revenue model, which relies on transaction fees, is undermined by stablecoins offering instant transfers and lower costs, placing it at a disadvantage in an increasingly competitive digital payment landscape.
- Market Outlook Analysis: Although PayPal launched its own stablecoin, PayPal USD, to counter competition, this indicates a lowering of market entry barriers, suggesting that more stablecoin-powered payment platforms may emerge, further fragmenting market share.
See More
