The U.S. Consumer Remains Strong

A simple gauge for the U.S. economy is to track companies that do well when times are good: for example air travel, live concerts, or expensive cards. This spending is a sign that consumers are not worried about money.

Mastercard (MA) is another company that shows the overall strength or weakness of the American consumer. The $295 billion payment-processing giant benefits as individuals and business increase their spending. In 2018, Mastercard accounted for 22% of all credit- and debit-card transactions in the U.S. And Mastercard recently reported revenue of $4.1 billion a growth of 12% from the prior quarter.

Today's chart shows MA shares increasing rapidly this year and as long as Americans keep spending this stock should continue to rally.

Disclosure: I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. The information provided should NOT be considered advice. The topics discussed are risky and have the potential to lose a substantial amount. I am not an investment professional and therefore do not offer individual financial advice. Please do your own research before investing.