Baird Investment Management

The substantial growth in credit and debit card usage is a multi-decade trend driven by increased global consumer activity and a shift in behavior to less transactions completed by cash or check. As the buzz of the holiday season takes hold, consumers wouldnt think twice about leaving home with just a debit or credit card in hand. The simple act of a purchase followed by swiping a plastic card occurs a staggering several hundred million times each day, with a step up in activity during the holiday season.

The aging of the developed world does give us some powerful information about which industries might do well in the future. The increased use of healthcare services as a population ages is well-documented. In addition, as people age, they transition from accumulating possessions to using their wealth to buy experiences. Travel companies are examples of companies that could benefit. The favorable demographic profile of the United States supports our manufacturing renaissance thesis as companies tend to want to locate manufacturing close to the end client.