Mastercard: The Rally Has Come To An End, Time To Trim

Mastercard remains a strong, brand-driven business with consistent double-digit revenue and earnings growth, outpacing Visa in growth dynamics. Recent results disappointed some, but seasonality explains quarter-over-quarter declines; year-over-year growth remains robust across all segments. Valuation has outpaced growth, making the risk/reward less attractive; I trimmed my position by 40% to lock in gains.