Shawn O’Malley and Daniel Mahncke break down Fair Isaac Corporation (ticker: FICO), a company whose algorithms are essential to computing credit scores, which are used in everything in the U.S., from applying for a mortgage, credit cards, apartments, to even job applications and more. FICO has incredible market penetration and earnings leverage, as almost all of its price increases trickle down to the bottom line, even though the cost of credit checks is typically a very small portion of the mortgage origination process, for example.
In this episode, you’ll learn about how FICO came to dominate credit scoring in the U.S., how credit scores have made it possible for millions of people to access financing, why FICO’s industry-leading position is so rock-solid, whether FICO can still be a “compunder” going forward, and whether FICO’s stock is attractively priced, plus so much more!
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
00:00 - Intro
15:35 - How credit scores helped to democratize access to credit
25:47 - What actually goes into a FICO score
29:08 - Why FICO has become the industry standard for credit scores
29:49 - About FICO’s relationship with the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
30:19 - How the government helped solidify FICO’s moat, and whether that’s changing
55:12 - What makes FICO one of the most profitable businesses we’ve ever looked at
01:03:04 - How to think about modeling FICO’s intrinsic value
01:11:26 - Whether Shawn and Daniel add FICO to their Intrinsic Value Portfolio
*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.
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Business Breakdowns coverage of FICO.
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FICO’s investor relations page.
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Look at $PINS. Has moved similarly at times but seems better managed. Still likely dead money?
I like this one and have been waiting for sometime to get in. My thesis is a bit different and goes more with the LKQ competitive side of the business being that a group of folks will require replacement parts as parts become more scarce in order to keep their older vehicles operational.This to avoid the useless gadgetry, excess spying, and loss of individual autonomy the state overlord authorities have mandated to now be embedded in all new vehicles for our convenience and well being of course
A brave new world of electric vehicles, Ferrari gassers will still be a thing for our betters. While we are eatzing zee bugz and peddling our bicycles to work, if we are lucky enough to remain selected for that, and more peddling for errands, and more peddling for energy generation to replace that consumed by the AI data centers, Ferrari will continue to thrive, overflowing their coffers with funds from the pol power brokers, and their elite overloads who desire the most quality status symbols
when you had all this stuff was it paid off? Because otherwise you have to work to pay those things off that don't make you happy.
awsome episode
great episode
Great podcast but these pre pandemic podcasts are kind of useless now. Most of Q1 2020 info is completely irrelevant now. It's a completely different world and market. Great podcast still but would have been a lot more useful at the end of February when it was recorded.
Great podcast. I like how it's timeless. some other podcasts are so current that the advice is only good for a few days. The info on this podcast is useful for years, not just the next 2 trading days. Thanks for the info Robert. love the real estate podcast as well
Great show! It's very relatable for Millennials like me. Looking forward to more guests and inspiring stories :)