Mastercard is Visa’s twin with a different mix (more services, different geography). The desk keeps both so isolated briefs cannot copy-paste a “payments oligopoly” paragraph.
Same quality screen as Visa, different volume/yield and services mix. Useful for testing whether a master is reading the 10-K or reciting the sector.
Do not treat MA as a clone of V. Services mix, Europe mix, and partnership deals differ. Compare segments, not the logo.
Independent briefs, then clerk assembly · 3 isolated prompts + 1 assembly pass · filing facts from SEC EDGAR (cached 7 days) — not investment advice, no buy button
Preview seating. Paid desks are 16 / 29 / 48 / 61. $49 is Associate (29), not 61. Partners is the same 61 with more compute.
Mastercard Incorporated · 10-K FY · FY2025 · ended 2025-12-31 · CIK 0001141391
Filings from SEC companyfacts (us-gaap). P/B, P/S from cached price × diluted shares vs filings. Not a live quote. Not a live quote, not advice, not a buy button. Missing numbers stay blank; P/E shows n/m when diluted EPS ≤ 0.
Same file, different rules. Each brief states a view and why. Briefs are written in isolation so one loud narrative cannot drag the room. The clerk reads them only after they exist. Never “you should buy.” There is no buy button.
Constructive — the work is worth continuing, not an order. Owner test on MA: P/E 34.2, P/B 66.20, ROE 193.5%, net income $15.0B.
Question: “Research MA as a US-listed name.”. Owner earnings lens on MA. Plain Midwest English, folksy metaphors, long-horizon. Hard rule: Circle of competence: if the business cannot be explained simply, pass. Numbers on file: P/E 34.2; P/B 66.20; ROE 193.5%; net income $15.0B; revenue YoY 16.4%. On file: 10-K FY FY2025; revenue $32.8B; revenue YoY 16.4%; net income $15.0B; ROE 193.5%; LT debt/equity 2.47; P/E 34.2; P/B 66.2; P/S 15.6; price $565.37 cached. A low multiple that needs a hero story is not a margin of safety. A rich multiple with durable ROE can still be a business — but then price is the risk. Underwrite frame: Worth further homework.
Constructive — the work is worth continuing, not an order. Classify MA before cheering growth. revenue YoY 16.4%. P/E 34.2.
Question: “Research MA as a US-listed name.”. Classify before multiple. Six-category company classification system.. revenue YoY 16.4%. P/E 34.2. revenue $32.8B. On file: 10-K FY FY2025; revenue $32.8B; revenue YoY 16.4%; net income $15.0B; ROE 193.5%; LT debt/equity 2.47; P/E 34.2; P/B 66.2; P/S 15.6; price $565.37 cached. Fast growth with no category is how you buy a story. Stalwart growth with a broken category is how you overstay. Underwrite frame: Worth further homework.
Skeptical — the burden of proof is on the bull case. Invert MA first. What has to be false for the bull to die?
Question: “Research MA as a US-listed name.”. Invert MA. Invert: how would this thesis get killed? List the kill-shots before the romance. On file: 10-K FY FY2025; revenue $32.8B; revenue YoY 16.4%; net income $15.0B; ROE 193.5%; LT debt/equity 2.47; P/E 34.2; P/B 66.2; P/S 15.6; price $565.37 cached. Name what must be true for the bull: earnings quality, leverage (2.47), and whether footnotes hide the cycle. If I cannot name the kill path, I am not doing the job. Underwrite frame: Pass for now.
Counted from isolated briefs. Ratios are filings or cached model input — not a live quote, not a rating, not a buy button.
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 34.2 | P/B, P/S from cached price × diluted shares vs filings. Not a live quote. |
| P/B | 66.20 | P/B, P/S from cached price × diluted shares vs filings. Not a live quote. |
| P/S | 15.62 | — |
| ROE | 193.5% | — |
| LT debt / equity | 2.47 | — |
| Revenue (FY) | $32.8B | — |
| Revenue YoY | +16.4% | — |
| Net income | $15.0B | — |
| Diluted EPS | $16.52 | — |
Cycle, timing, exit, and quant seats are dark on this plan. A three-seat sample cannot locate the cycle or size a position.
Assembly is a second isolated pass over the briefs. Masters did not read each other. Research simulation — not advice, not a buy button.
Analyst unlocks 16 independent seats (16 isolated prompts + 1 assembly pass).
See AnalystCounted from independent briefs only — not a vote, not a recommendation.
Trend research (Wood, Laffont, and the rest of the era desk) is locked on Observer.
Unlocks on Analyst (16). Empty seats stay empty — we do not ghost-fill them.
Compare plansCycle desk (Dalio, Marks, Templeton) is locked on Observer.
Unlocks on Analyst (16). Empty seats stay empty — we do not ghost-fill them.
Compare plansWarren BuffettMA: screened alone against Moat & Management Final Review.
Peter LynchMA: screened alone against Ten-Bagger Hunter.
Debate starts only after independent briefs exist. Red team still does not see a shared draft.
Charlie Munger — Debate chair · inversion: the best way to kill this thesis
Warren Buffett — Final review · 10-year hold test
Full transcript, risk list, and sizing stay on higher seats.
Unlock more seatsTiming desk (O’Neil and the tape seats) is locked on Observer.
Unlocks on Analyst (16). Empty seats stay empty — we do not ghost-fill them.
Compare plansExit desk (Livermore, Darvas, Bogle accountability) is locked on Observer.
Unlocks on Committee or Partners (61). Empty seats stay empty — we do not ghost-fill them.
Compare plansQuant (Thorp Kelly sizing, then the full seven on Committee) is locked on Observer.
Unlocks on Analyst (16). Empty seats stay empty — we do not ghost-fill them.
Compare plansAgents61 is a research simulation and educational tool. Isolated views, splits, and assembly notes only. Not personalized advice. AI-generated.
