Mastercard Incorporated $MA Stock: PineStone Asset Management Inc. Lowers Position

PineStone Asset Management Inc. cut its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 2.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,788,772 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 43,240 shares during the quarter. Mastercard makes up 6.5% of PineStone Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. PineStone Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $986,454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MA. Foster Group Inc. boosted its position in Mastercard by 0.9% during the third quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 2,122 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Mastercard by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the period. Novem Group grew its stake in Mastercard by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Novem Group now owns 4,680 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,404,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the period. Vista Capital Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Mastercard by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 444 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Mastercard by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,842 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.1%

MA stock opened at $617.14 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $540.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.95, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $575.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $534.99. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52 week low of $464.52 and a 52 week high of $622.49.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $5.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.77 by $0.27. Mastercard had a return on equity of 239.99% and a net margin of 46.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.14%.

Insider Transactions at Mastercard

In other news, Director Julius Genachowski sold 371 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $585.01, for a total value of $217,038.71. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,607 shares in the company, valued at $5,035,181.07. This trade represents a 4.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Linda Kirkpatrick sold 4,280 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $570.31, for a total value of $2,440,926.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 31,179 shares in the company, valued at $17,781,695.49. This represents a 12.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 68,359 shares of company stock valued at $39,290,046. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Mastercard News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broader investor rotation is supporting the stock. Mastercard is among the companies reaching record levels as investors diversify beyond the artificial-intelligence and semiconductor trade. Upcoming earnings could help sustain the broader market rally. Coca-Cola, Visa and Mastercard Hit Records as Investors Rotate Out of Chip Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially improved access to China is a significant catalyst. U.S. officials raised market-access issues for Mastercard and Citigroup during bilateral talks, reiterating that approval for expanded operations had been agreed upon during September’s U.S.-China discussions. Greater access could expand Mastercard’s long-term payments opportunity in China. U.S. raises Mastercard, Citigroup China market access in bilateral Bangkok talks
• Positive Sentiment: The Global Money Platform expands Mastercard’s role in digital payments. Mastercard and BVNK launched a single-API platform allowing banks, fintechs and businesses to hold, convert and spend fiat currencies and stablecoins across Mastercard’s network. The product is the first major integration since Mastercard acquired BVNK and could create new transaction and infrastructure revenue opportunities. Mastercard and BVNK Launch Global Money Platform to Power a Multi-Money World
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect another earnings beat. Coverage points to Mastercard’s history of exceeding consensus estimates and favorable earnings-surprise indicators. That optimism is supported by the company’s latest reported quarter, when revenue grew 14.1% year over year and earnings exceeded expectations. Will MasterCard Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum is strong, but valuation warrants monitoring. Mastercard has extended a multiday winning streak and moved into a buy zone, while commentary suggests the stock could be undervalued if its returns on capital remain durable. However, its elevated valuation means disappointing guidance or slower payments growth could increase downside risk. Mastercard Stock Could Be 32% Undervalued After Stablecoin Payments Push

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore increased their price target on Mastercard from $550.00 to $620.00 in a research note on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $640.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $665.00 to $685.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Loop Capital upped their target price on Mastercard from $631.00 to $647.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Mastercard from $650.00 to $695.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $682.66.

Mastercard Company Profile

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses. The company facilitates electronic payments and provides technology that supports transactions conducted through credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payment products.

In addition to operating its payments network, Mastercard offers services in areas such as payment security, fraud prevention, authentication, cybersecurity, data and analytics, loyalty programs, digital identity and open banking.