The way Akre sees it, there's one major trend that makes MasterCard, well, priceless: the move away from cash. We're using credit cards to pay for ever smaller transactions -- notice how everyone in line in front of you at Starbucks now pays with credit cards? -- and credit is also what's enabled the boom in e-commerce. MasterCard has been broadening its reach, buying European payment service provider DataCash Group and expanding its mobile payment option, PayPass -- moves that helped total transactions jump 18.3% in 2011.
NEXT: 2. Shares still have room to run
