MasterCard (MA -1.19%) saw its shares pop as much as 3% on Thursday after the company released earnings. During the first quarter MasterCard saw net income increase 14%, processed transactions grew by 14%, and gross dollar volume was up 14% to a whopping $1 trillion.
While all of that sounds great, MasterCard's future looks even brighter thanks to some deals it has inked with major companies. One deal with Wal-Mart and Sam's Club will see the retailers switch their store cards over to a MasterCard platform, bringing lots of new customers to MasterCard's system. In addition to that, Target has announced that not only will the company's RedCard switch over to a MasterCard system, but it will also begin using MasterCard's chip technology to beef up security.
So, after today's pop, and considering the company's new ventures on the horizon, should investors consider buying today? In today's Stock of the Day, Motley Fool analyst Sara Hov thinks so. Between a strong past a bright future, Sara remains bullish on MasterCard.
