NEW YORK (AP) -- MasterCard could provide insight into the impact of new regulations on debit cards and a more detailed look at consumer spending during the holiday season when it reports fourth-quarter results before the market opens Thursday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Investors will be watching to see how the company, based in Purchase, N.Y., has been effected by rules that kicked in on Oct. 1 limiting the fees that can be charged to merchants for handling debit card transactions. MasterCard lags its rival Visa Inc. in the debit field, but the strict regulations are expected to affect the company, regardless.

Investors may also get a better sense of consumer spending during the holidays. Recent quarters have seen a revival of spending among the very wealthy, and an increase in the number of people who pay off their balances in full each month. Both reflect an economy that is still stressed, and reluctance by card holders to take on any more debt.

Analyst have also been reducing estimates due to fluctuations in the dollar. More than half of MasterCard's business comes from overseas, so weak foreign exchange rates could depress revenue. The economic turmoil in Europe is also likely to have an impact, because it has depressed consumer demand. About 31 percent of the spending volume using MasterCard products comes from Europe.

The company, along with Visa, is in the midst of a major lawsuit brought by merchants protesting the fees charged for handling credit card transactions, which were not addressed in the regulations that limited debit transaction fees. Several analysts, including Jason Kuperfberg of Jefferies & Co., are suggesting the suit will likely end in a settlement. He said in a note to clients that most investors who responded to a survey about the case expect the companies to agree to monetary damages between $10 billion and $15 billion. He believes MasterCard could be responsible for about $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion of the total, with the banks that issue credit cards picking up the rest.

Many investors are also concerned about the possibility of regulations on these credit card fees.

WHY IT MATTERS: MasterCard's results help give a broad-based picture of consumer spending and the overall economy. The numbers will provide further insight about holiday spending, which the government has already reported. Retail sales rose slightly , but it was still a record for the year and the largest annual increase in more than a decade.

WHAT'S EXPECTED: Analysts, on average, expect profit of $3.93 per share, on revenue of $1.73 billion, according to data provided by FactSet.

LAST YEAR'S QUARTER: MasterCard Inc. posted net income of $415 million, or $3.16 per share. Revenue was $1.44 billion.