Discover Financial Services

Fourth-quarter earnings announcements from financial, consumer products, and technology sectors.

A very good year for the market.

How four large-value Morningstar Medalists have fared in the growth-led market.

It's able to hold less capital against credit card loans compared with its larger, more regulated rivals.

We believe companies with moats from switching costs and intangible assets are less vulnerable.

This period saw the return of our top managers into household, blue-chip names.

Our top managers are turning over more rocks in search for buried treasure.

Here's where Gold-rated investors from Diamond Hill, Dodge & Cox, and Oakmark have found opportunity.

Private-label leader capitalizes on commerce trends.

Alphabet, Visa, and Novo Nordisk outperformed, while energy and basic materials were a drag on returns, says Morningstar's Matt Coffina.

We like the business, which is now separate from GE, and think it's undervalued.

It has a head start in an increasingly competitive electronic payment market.

Morningstar's Dan Werner expects continued pressure on net interest margins, increased fee revenue, a focus on expense controls, and strong trading revenue for investment banks.

A better-than-expected February employment report raises the prospect of the Fed hiking short-term rates sooner rather than later.

Results of adverse scenarios are generally in line with Morningstar's own Stress Test analyses.

Increased regulation could advantage high-tech disrupters and firms with economies of scale, says Morningstar's Jim Sinegal.

Morningstar's Dan Werner and Jim Sinegal see a move toward digital and direct channels.

The new Apple Pay is unlikely to disrupt payment networks or credit card issuers--and should even expand network volume, writes Morningstar’s Jim Sinegal.

Outperformance is increasingly unlikely.

Most global banks are ready for new regulatory standards, but these three names may be better positioned to raise their payouts.