Mastercard & Visa: Secular Growers with a Cyclical Kicker

Today’s note highlights two stocks, Mastercard (MA) and Visa (V) that are timely technical ideas. They are a good way to straddle the two key areas of the equity market, growth and cyclicals that Tom Lee, Brian Rauscher and myself, have been encouraging investors to build exposure to as part of a barbell portfolio.

The first side of the barbell are secular growers that do very well in most economic environments. Many have moats around their businesses that make it tough to compete with, others are growing by disrupting entire industries, while others are developing completely new products that never existed in the past. We at Fundstrat recommend investors maintain exposure to these stocks which were leaders heading into the pandemic and only strengthened their lead during the recent crisis.

The second group are cyclical growers, such as industrials, materials, energy, consumer discretionary and select financials, that are sensitive to the ebb and flow of the underlying economic cycle and were sold off aggressively during the March decline. Understandably, cyclicals are some of the toughest stocks for investors to buy given the weak and uncertain economic backdrop. However, as Tom, Brian and I have highlighted regularly in our notes, there is evidence these stocks are incrementally improving. Some, such as housing and transports, are in strong uptrends while others still appear to be carving out broad bottoming profiles waiting for evidence the economy is recovering. Stocks that are dependent on consumer discretionary spending have notably lagged, but as Tom Lee has pointed out, these stocks are likely to have violent upside reactions once COVID-19 worries begin to recede or the prospect of a vaccine emerges.

So, what makes MA and V noteworthy technically? First, both MA and V are in secular uptrends which is defined by the rising 200-week moving average illustrated in red. What I find interesting is that both stocks paused from early June along with most cyclicals BUT are now in the early stages of reaccelerating. MA has broken out and has rallied above its June highs at 316 and should rally through its Q1 2020 highs at 347. V looks to be close behind as it begins to break out above its June highs at 202 and is starting a new up-leg that should see it challenge and rally through its 2020 highs. The bottom line is that both MA and V are secular growth stocks that will also benefit from the consumer beginning to spend more.

checkout-thomas-lee image
checkout-logo image

Become a Member To Access FS Insight Research

FS Insight gives individual investors access to Tom Lee's research, previously only available to banks and hedge funds.

Monthly

$199/mo

Includes 30-Day Free Trial

Join Now

Annual

-15% $2,028/yr

List Price: $2,388

Savings: $360

Join Now

What's included in your FSI Membership?

tom lee iamge

Thomas J. Lee

Head of Research

Type Publication Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Monthly
Reports First Word
The best market research out there -- on a near-daily basis.
Intraday Alerts
These are released periodically after crucial market developments.
Real-Time
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
Webinars & Videos Macro Minute Video
Daily video commentary on market conditions & key events.
Outlook Webinars
We host over 12 LIVE webinars per year with our research team and high-profile special guests. Incredible value and market insights!
Yearly
Granny Shots Webinars
CEO Interview Webinars Quarterly
Appearances Archive Real-Time
Allocation Tools "Super Granny" Shots Stock List
Granny Shots we expect to tactically outperform and underperform.
Granny Shots Stock List
Thematic investment stock picks that aim to outperform the S&P 500.
Sector Allocation
A sector allocation strategy that is designed to outperform the S&P 500 while taking minimal risk.
Market Alerts ⚡️FlashInsights
Real-time market commentary about macro and crypto events from our research heads.
Real-Time
tom lee iamge

Mark L. Newton

Head of Technical Strategy

Type Publication Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Monthly
Reports Daily Technical Strategy
Daily commentary on market trends and short term opportunities.
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
Webinars & Videos Daily Technical Strategy
Daily commentary on market trends and short term opportunities.
Live Technical Analysis
Outlook Webinars
We host over 12 LIVE webinars per year with our research team and high-profile special guests. Incredible value and market insights!
Yearly
Appearances Archive Real-Time
Allocation Tools Newton's Upticks Stock List
Technically derived, intermediate-term picks of attractive risk/reward opportunities from the S&P 500.
Market Alerts ⚡️FlashInsights
Real-time market commentary about macro and crypto events from our research heads.
tom lee iamge

L. Thomas Block

Washington Policy Strategy

Type Publication Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Monthly
Reports US Policy
Weekly update on developments in Washington DC and how they may impact Wall Street.
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
Market Alerts ⚡️FlashInsights
Real-time market commentary about macro and crypto events from our research heads.
Real-Time
sean farrell Crypto Team

Sean Farrell & Crypto Team

Type Publication Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Monthly
Reports Market Update
Stay on top of the crypto markets with macro commentary, technical analysis, and the most relevant news.
Weekly Strategy
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
Funding Fridays
Are you looking for investment opportunities in the crypto space? We explore early-stage crypto opportunities in this note about where the smart money is being invested!
Crypto Concepts
We periodically provide in-depth research on the leading protocols, companies, and funds shaping the crypto ecosystem.
Liquid Ventures
A recurring research note focused on delivering unique insights into high-risk investment opportunities within the crypto ecosystem, primarily centered on early-stage or small-cap tokens.
Deep Research
We periodically provide in-depth research on the leading protocols, companies, and funds shaping the crypto ecosystem.
Quarterly
Weekly Roadmap
Weekly summary of market events and updates on our key theses.
Webinars & Videos Outlook Webinars
Ongoing webinars exploring crypto opportunities, in depth research, and exclusive research offerings from our team of analysts and leading cryptocurrency firms.
Yearly
Crypto Comments Daily Technical Strategy
From Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana to other coins, our Head of Technical Strategy highlights important price movement to help give you an edge.
Allocation Tools Crypto Core Strategy
A powerful tool designed to help crypto investors build a crypto portfolio that outperforms the industry’s king – bitcoin – regardless of market conditions.
Market Alerts ⚡️FlashInsights
Real-time market commentary about macro and crypto events from our research heads.
Real-Time
Crypto Team

FS Insight Research Team

Type Publication Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Monthly
Reports First to Market
*Earnings Daily
This note provides investors with a myriad of useful metrics to measure the progress of earnings season
Signal From Noise
Highlights timely market themes and sectors with corresponding stocks, cutting through the day-to-day market “noise” for a distinct perspective.
Community Questions
We gather your inquiries and answer them in the most scalable way. Hear directly from our research principals!
FS Insight Academy
Our main goal is to make you a better investor! This series will guide you through key financial concepts and topics in an understandable way.
Webinars & Videos Free Macro Webinars
Live webinars and Q&A with our research team and high-profile industry leaders.
Quarterly
Free Crypto Webinars
Live webinars and Q&A with our research team and high-profile industry leaders.
Quarterly

*Daily reporting during each quarterly earnings season.

Disclosures (show)

Sign in to read the report!

We have detected you are an active member!

Ray: f5fd92-e22639-fa7c92-d9b71b-181f74

Want to receive Regular Market Updates to your Inbox?

I am your default error :)

Events

Trending tickers in our research