MasterCard profit beats expectations as customers spend more

(Reuters) - MasterCard Inc , the world's No. 2 debit and credit card company, reported a better-than-expected profit for the holiday shopping quarter as customers swiped their cards more often. "Despite a mixed global economy, we delivered solid results for the quarter and for the full year in 2014," Chief Executive Ajay Banga said in a statement. U.S. retail sales rose 5.5 percent from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve as demand for women's apparel, jewelry an