KLCM Advisors Inc. Sells 409 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

KLCM Advisors Inc. lessened its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 16.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,039 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 409 shares during the period. KLCM Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $870,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Barometer Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MA traded up $0.03 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $459.82. 1,787,264 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,209,005. The business’s 50 day moving average is $471.86 and its 200-day moving average is $433.03. The company has a market capitalization of $428.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1-year low of $357.85 and a 1-year high of $490.00.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.60% and a return on equity of 191.22%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.65 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be issued a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 8th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.57%. Mastercard’s payout ratio is 22.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and set a $535.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Mastercard from $432.00 to $499.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Mastercard from $530.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Mastercard from $480.00 to $490.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Mizuho reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $480.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $485.91.

Insider Activity at Mastercard

In related news, CMO Venkata R. Madabhushi sold 16,037 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $475.94, for a total value of $7,632,649.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 12,255 shares in the company, valued at $5,832,644.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.25, for a total transaction of $97,450.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 97,543,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $47,527,976,823. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Venkata R. Madabhushi sold 16,037 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.94, for a total transaction of $7,632,649.78. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 12,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,832,644.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 41,728 shares of company stock worth $19,479,753 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Profile

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions.