This morning, we hosted a conference call where we shared Mastercard’s financial results for the fourth quarter and our 2018 fiscal year. If you listened to that call, you heard how we had a strong end to the year, delivering broad-based growth.

The numbers speak for themselves – double-digit gains in both volume and transactions, with earnings per share increasing 40 percent year-over-year, on a currency-neutral basis and excluding special items.

During the call, Ajay and I discussed how we continue to deliver differentiated value for our customers through core payment products and services that deliver value beyond the transaction. Some highlights and themes from the quarter include:

Customer Value – We deepened and renewed partnerships by providing customers with solutions that combine the best of what we have to offer. One example is Mastercard becoming the exclusive network for the consumer and business card portfolio at Westpac Bank, one of Australia’s largest banks, while renewing the relationship in New Zealand. We also renewed key relationships with Credit Agricole, the largest bank in France, and the Netherlands’ Rabobank.

Merchant Partnerships – Co-brands continue to play a big role in our efforts in the Americas, as seen through recent deals with Square for its business debit card program and the extension of the JetBlue program across 19 Caribbean markets, making us their sole network partner. Additionally, JPMorgan Chase will use our Gateway Services to enhance its global connectivity and support of alternative payments as they continue to expand global digital payments solutions for their merchants.