MongoDB and Bath & Body Works have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – December 8, 2025 – Zacks Equity Research shares MongoDB MDB as the Bull of the Day and Bath & Body Works, Inc. BBWI as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Mastercard Inc. MA, Visa V and American Express AXP.

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks.

Bull of the Day:

Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock MongoDB is a leading database software company. Think of a traditional database (like a spreadsheet or filing cabinet) as being very rigid: you have to decide exactly how many columns your data will have before you put anything in it. If you want to add new information later, you must stop everything and restructure the entire cabinet. Conversely, MDB technology stores data in self-contained folders that can hold anything – text, photos, video links, or lists – all in one place. Additionally, MDB’s product is unique because:

· There are No Rigid Rules (Flexible Schema): You don't have to define a strict structure upfront. If you have 100 customer folders, and you decide you want to track a new "loyalty points" field, you just add it to the following folder you create. The other 99 folders don't need to change. This is called a flexible schema.

· It is Built for Speed and Scale: Because modern applications (like a popular social media app or an e-commerce site) serve millions of users and ingest new data every minute, MongoDB is designed to scale easily and handle massive amounts of data very quickly. It can simply add more "cabinets" (servers) to store data horizontally.

· The Main Product: Atlas: The company's main business is MongoDB Atlas, which is like an easy button for this robust database. It's a cloud service that lets developers use the MongoDB database without worrying about setting up or maintaining the servers. They just pay to use the database as a service.

Microsoft Partnership Helps MDB Break Into AI

MDB has a partnership with tech giant Microsoft that enables Atlas to be deeply integrated into Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. Clients can now plug Atlas into Microsoft Azure to utilize its AI tools. The Microsoft partnership is critical for helping MDB gain a share of the rapidly growing AI market. The good news for MDB investors is that MongoDB was named the 2025 ‘Microsoft United States Partner of the Year.’

MDB: A Consistent EPS Outperformer

Wall Street is a game of expectations, and MDB has illustrated that it’s capable of delivering. Over the past four quarters, it has surpassed Zacks Consensus Analyst Estimates by a juicy 69.30%.

MDB Reports Stellar EPS

Last week, MongoDB delivered strong third-quarter results that exceeded the high end of their guidance, driven by continued strength in Atlas, which saw growth accelerate 30% year-over-year. Meanwhile, total revenue and subscription revenue grew 19% year-over-year as margins expanded. Finally, MDB raised its guidance. The company now expects EPS growth of ~30% and revenue growth of 20%.

MDB Technical View: An EPS-Induced Breakaway Gap

Following the early December earnings release, MDB shares spiked 22% as trading volume swelled to more than 4x the norm – a sign of heavy demand. Despite the large upside move, the stock has traded sideways since EPS, indicating that although investors have large profits in the stock, they are unwilling to part with their shares.

Bottom Line

MongoDB’s flexible architecture, cloud-first Atlas platform, and strategic partnership with Microsoft give the company a powerful runway for AI-driven growth. With a track record of earnings outperformance and fresh momentum following EPS, MDB shares are a buy.

Bear of the Day:

Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) company Bath & Body Works, Inc., was founded in 1990 and has grown into a leading global retailer specializing in personal care and home fragrance products. The Columbus, Ohio-based company operates under the ‘Bath & Body Works’ and White Barn brand names. BBWI offers a wide range of products, including soaps, lotions, fragrances, candles, and other personal care items. Bath & Body Works sells its products through its website and brick-and-mortar locations.

Originally part of L Brands, Inc., the company underwent a significant transformation in 2021 when it spun off Victoria’s Secret and rebranded itself. The company has an international presence, but its primary markets are the United States and Canada.

Consumer Weakness and Brand Weakness

In a troubling trend for BBWI, North American consumers are spending less on non-essential home products. Meanwhile, Bath & Body Works’ core demand engine is weakening, signaling erosion in brand relevance and consumer engagement. During the third quarter, total net sales declined 1% to $1.6 billion, and management indicated that the performance would have been worse had it not been for an extended fall sale.

BBWI: Larger Competitors are Taking Market Share

BBWI faces intense, direct competition from industry peers such as Sephora and Ulta Beauty.To make matters worse, big box retailers such as Target and Walmarthave expanded their fragrance and body care departments, poaching market share from BBWI. As a result, Zacks Consensus Analyst Estimates suggest negative earnings growth over the next two years.

Challenging Start to Holiday Season

BBWI reported that Q4 sales were down in the high single digits, signaling a weak start to the most crucial retail season. With sales slowing and competition rising, the company will be forced to offer markdowns and deal with higher inventory and uncertainty.

Bottom Line

Bath & Body Works faces a challenging landscape with softening consumer demand, heightened competition, and declining sales momentum heading into its most crucial quarter.

Additional content:

Are Buyouts & Partnerships Powering Mastercard's Long-Term Growth?

Mastercard Inc. uses a disciplined acquisition and partnership strategy as a key growth driver, enabling expansion beyond traditional card payments into value-added services, open banking, B2B payment flows and global digital finance infrastructure. These moves help diversify revenues, strengthen margins and deepen MA’s global ecosystem through powerful network effects.

In recent years, Mastercard has acquired and partnered with companies that enhance its capabilities in high-growth, recurring-revenue areas. Notably, its $2.65 billion acquisition of threat-intelligence firm Recorded Future boosted its cybersecurity offerings, while the purchase of Minna Technologies expanded its subscription-management and digital-service capabilities, further strengthening its data, security and tech-driven services portfolio.

Mastercard has strategically used acquisitions like Dynamic Yield and Baffin Bay Networks while strengthening offerings in subscription and digital asset management.

It has deepened global partnerships with Pluto, ADGM, Corpay, The Clearing House, Equity Bank, and stc pay to drive B2B and cross-border solutions. Collaborations with Fiserv, Chainlink and Thunes further enhance access to stablecoins and crypto, reinforcing its strategy of scaling digital payments and financial services worldwide. It also collaborated with Zain Cash, Infosys, GCash, Circle, Stripe, Google, Antom, L’Oréal and FIDO Alliance to further enhance its reach and services. It is continuously collaborating with companies to enhance its services.

Thus, these reflect Mastercard’s multi-layered strategy to transform from a payments network into a fully integrated, global financial infrastructure platform.

What About MA’s Peers?

Visa continues to strengthen its market leadership through targeted acquisitions and global partnerships. Visa’s deals—from Earthport to Tink—enhance capabilities in cross-border payments and fraud prevention, while its collaborations with partners across emerging markets deepen its network and support sustained growth in global payment volumes.

American Express has expanded its footprint through smart acquisitions and strategic partnerships. AXP’s deals—such as Kabbage, Tock, Rooam and Center ID—enhance SMB lending and payment tools, while its alliances with major brands like Delta, Hilton, Amazon and Point.me bolster loyalty and broaden its market reach.

MA’s Price Performance

Shares of MA have gained 3% year to date, outperforming the industry.

MA’s Expensive Valuation

Mastercard trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 28.8, above the industry average of 20.02. It carries a Value Score of D.

No Estimate Movement for MA

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MA’s fourth-quarter 2025 EPS and first-quarter 2026 EPS witnessed no movement in the last seven days. The same holds true for full-year 2025 and 2026 estimates.

The consensus estimate for MA’s 2025 and 2026 revenues and EPS indicates year-over-year increases.

MA stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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