5 Stocks Pushing The Services Sector Higher

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

All three major indices are trading up today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading up 163 points (1.2%) at 13,275 as of Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, 12:34 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 2,126 issues advancing vs. 762 declining with 145 unchanged.

The Services sector currently sits up 0.6% versus the S&P 500, which is up 1.1%. Top gainers within the sector include Weight Watchers International (WTW), up 17.9%, Vitamin Shoppe (VSI), up 11.6%, Myriad Genetics (MYGN), up 11.4%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), up 5.5% and Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), up 4.9%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include MakeMyTrip (MMYT), down 21.1%, Cablevision Systems (CVC), down 4.7%, Discovery Communications (DISCK), down 2.8%, Charter Communications (CHTR), down 2.7% and Directv (DTV), down 2.0%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the sector higher today:

5. MasterCard Incorporated (MA) is one of the companies pushing the Services sector higher today. As of noon trading, MasterCard Incorporated is up $6.44 (1.4%) to $472.09 on light volume Thus far, 180,285 shares of MasterCard Incorporated exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 689,300 shares. The stock has ranged in price between $467.19-$472.89 after having opened the day at $468.83 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $465.65.

MasterCard Incorporated, a payments and technology company, together with its subsidiaries, provides transaction processing and other payment-related services in the United States and internationally. MasterCard Incorporated has a market cap of $56.0 billion and is part of the diversified services industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 27.2, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 25.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are 23 analysts that rate MasterCard Incorporated a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 5 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates MasterCard Incorporated as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations, growth in earnings per share and increase in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company is trading at a premium valuation based on our review of its current price compared to such things as earnings and book value. Get the full MasterCard Incorporated Ratings Report now.

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