Just 15 Stocks Make Up 71% of the Dow. Here's My Top Pick to Buy Now.

American Express is highlighted as a top buy among the 15 largest Dow components, which represent 71% of the index's weight. Despite a 15.3% year-to-date decline and recent Q3 earnings-driven sell-off, AXP offers compelling value at 17.6x adjusted 2026 earnings guidance. The company demonstrates strong fundamentals with double-digit revenue growth, excellent credit quality metrics, aggressive buybacks, and a diversified revenue model superior to competitors Visa and Mastercard.

10/30/2026, 6:45 AM • The Motley Fool

Mastercard: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors

Mastercard reported Q3 2026 earnings with 14% year-over-year net revenue growth and 18% net income increase. The company is expanding beyond traditional payment processing into high-margin services including cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and analytics (up 19% YoY). Mastercard is positioning itself for AI-enabled transactions through verified tokenization tools and acquired BVNK to bridge fiat currencies with digital assets, strengthening its network infrastructure for long-term growth.

10/29/2026, 11:26 PM • The Motley Fool

Breakfast News: A Letter to Our Elected Officials

The Motley Fool urges Congress to prepare American workers for AI-driven workforce disruption, citing Microsoft's 60,000 voluntary buyouts as a sign of fundamental workplace changes ahead. They propose the LIFT Act to simplify contract work, make benefits portable, protect incomes during transitions, and expand independent work opportunities. Additionally, the Hidden Gems team maintains a positive outlook on Mastercard, projecting 70% upside within five years due to its ability to adapt to new payment technologies including stablecoins.

10/28/2026, 7:30 AM • The Motley Fool

4 Reasons American Express Stock Is Having Its Worst Year Since 2015 Despite Record Earnings

American Express stock is down 15.3% year-to-date despite posting record earnings and raising full-year guidance, marking its worst year since 2015. The decline is attributed to valuation pullback after a decade-long surge, declining gross margins due to increased customer reward expenses, concerns about consumer spending weakness amid economic headwinds, and uncertainty around AI investment costs. However, the stock trades at a cheap 17.8x earnings multiple, presenting a potential buying opportunity for long-term investors given the company's strong fundamentals and unique positioning in agentic commerce.

10/28/2026, 5:15 AM • The Motley Fool

American Express vs. Nu: Which Financial Stock Is a Better Buy?

American Express and Nu represent two distinct investment approaches in the financial sector. American Express offers stability with $72B in FY2025 revenue, 16% net margins, and $16B in free cash flow, appealing to conservative income-focused investors. Nu demonstrates aggressive growth with 45% revenue growth, 18.1% net margins, and 131M customers across Latin America, attracting risk-tolerant growth investors. Both trade at identical 17.4x forward P/E ratios, but differ significantly in geographic exposure and business models.

10/27/2026, 4:00 PM • The Motley Fool

CME vs. Mastercard: Which Financial Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

CME Group and Mastercard are compared as investment options for 2026. CME dominates derivatives trading with a 62% net margin, lower valuation (P/E 25.3x), and minimal debt (0.1x debt-to-equity), but faces volatile growth averaging 9.5%. Mastercard powers global payments with consistent 14.3% revenue growth, strong free cash flow of $16.4B, but trades at a higher valuation (P/E 33.8x) with 2.5x debt-to-equity. The article suggests CME may appeal to value-focused investors, while Mastercard attracts growth-oriented ones.

10/27/2026, 10:30 AM • The Motley Fool

Breakfast News: Science Strikes Back at Cancer

Cancer treatment breakthroughs dominate ESMO 2026 conference with multiple drugs showing significant survival gains. U.S. stocks declined amid AI spending concerns and rising oil prices, with the Fed expected to hold rates steady Wednesday. Several Motley Fool-recommended companies report earnings this week including Alphabet, Amazon, and Mastercard. TransDigm's stock decline reflects valuation compression rather than business deterioration.

10/26/2026, 7:30 AM • The Motley Fool

Fiserv Appoints Raj Seshadri to Board of Directors

Fiserv, Inc. announced that Raj Seshadri, a veteran payments and financial services executive from Mastercard, will join its Board of Directors effective November 30, 2026. Simultaneously, board member Henrique De Castro will not seek reelection at the 2027 annual shareholder meeting. Seshadri brings extensive experience in payments, commercial banking, and data analytics from her roles at Mastercard, BlackRock, Citigroup, and McKinsey.

10/23/2026, 8:00 AM • GlobeNewswire

Is Capital One Financial a Buy After Its Latest Earnings Report?

Capital One Financial beat analyst expectations in Q3 2026, with revenue up 6% YoY to $16.3B and adjusted net income up 7% to $4.1B ($6.69 per share vs. expected $5.50). Strong performance in credit cards (11% purchase volume growth) and consumer banking (17% revenue growth) was driven by the Discover Financial Services acquisition completed in May 2025, which provided proprietary payment-processing infrastructure. Integration synergies have reached $1.8B annualized with total costs exceeding $2.8B, expected to decline significantly by 2028. The company is viewed as a solid mid- to long-term investment despite some concerns about loan growth stalling if interest rates rise.

10/22/2026, 6:21 AM • The Motley Fool

Lenders Cooperative Integrates Moov to Embed Modern Payments Across Its Unified Lending Platform

Lenders Cooperative integrated Moov's payment ledger infrastructure into its unified lending platform, enabling banks and credit unions to embed real-time money movement capabilities directly into loan origination and servicing workflows. The integration allows borrowers flexible repayment options via ACH, card, or instant payments while providing lenders real-time visibility into transactions without requiring core system changes.

10/20/2026, 1:55 PM • GlobeNewswire

PayPal vs. SoFi Technologies: Which Financial Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

PayPal and SoFi Technologies represent different stages of fintech maturity. PayPal dominates global payments with 439 million active accounts and a 15.8% net margin but faces slow 4.3% revenue growth. SoFi has evolved into a full-service digital bank with impressive 28.8% revenue growth and a new stablecoin settlement model, though it carries a higher valuation multiple. While PayPal trades at a cheaper valuation (P/E 10.68), SoFi offers better growth potential despite neither stock appearing especially compelling compared to broader market performance.

10/20/2026, 7:25 AM • The Motley Fool

American Express vs. Mastercard: Which Financial Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares American Express and Mastercard as investment options for 2026. American Express operates a closed-loop system as both lender and network processor with premium positioning but faces credit risk and customer concentration. Mastercard functions as a pure-play technology network with global scale, higher margins, and no direct credit risk, but commands a premium valuation. The author recommends Mastercard as the better buy despite American Express's more attractive valuation, citing Mastercard's superior long-term performance and lower risk profile.

10/19/2026, 7:05 AM • The Motley Fool

Stock Market Today, Oct. 14: SoFi Technologies Falls on Banking Weakness

SoFi Technologies fell 6.69% to $14.22 on Oct. 14, 2026, hitting a 52-week low amid hotter-than-expected inflation data and sector-wide pressure on lenders. The fintech stock has declined nearly 50% from last year's high. Other fintech stocks also suffered, with Robinhood Markets down 8.54% and Affirm down 9.47%. While SoFi's membership and revenue are expanding, concerns persist about lending profitability in a high-rate environment. Analyst sentiment remains mixed, though the company's stablecoin expansion could offer future growth potential.

10/14/2026, 5:38 PM • The Motley Fool

2 Payment Stocks to Buy and Hold That Raised Their Dividends 14% in Their Latest Increases

Visa and Mastercard recently increased their dividends by approximately 14%, significantly outpacing inflation. Both companies benefit from the ongoing shift from cash to card payments, e-commerce growth, and fraud prevention services. Despite premium valuations around 31x P/E, analysts view them as reasonably priced given strong growth prospects and resilience to economic downturns.

10/12/2026, 2:15 PM • The Motley Fool

A Tale of Two Financial ETFs: How Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) and First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (FTXO) Compare

Vanguard Financials ETF (VFH) offers broader financial sector exposure with a significantly lower expense ratio of 0.09% and stronger 5-year performance, while First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (FTXO) provides concentrated banking exposure with higher dividend yield but charges 0.60% in fees and exhibits greater volatility. VFH is recommended for most investors seeking diversification and cost efficiency.

10/09/2026, 9:40 AM • The Motley Fool