Abacus FCF Advisors LLC Sells 5,097 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Key Points

• Abacus FCF Advisors LLC sold 5,097 shares of Mastercard, trimming its stake by 11.1% to 40,896 shares worth about $23.35 million, which is roughly 3.0% of the fund's portfolio and its third-largest holding.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Buy" (six Strong Buy, 20 Buy, 1 Hold, 1 Sell) with an average price target of about $659, alongside a mix of recent upgrades and some target adjustments.
• Mastercard recently beat EPS estimates ($4.76 vs. $4.24) with revenue up 17.5% year-over-year, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.87 ($3.48 annualized, yield ~0.7%) with an ex-dividend date of April 9 and payment on May 8.

Abacus FCF Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 11.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,896 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 5,097 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for about 3.0% of Abacus FCF Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Abacus FCF Advisors LLC's holdings in Mastercard were worth $23,347,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vulcan Value Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Mastercard by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vulcan Value Partners LLC now owns 466,222 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $265,233,000 after buying an additional 28,331 shares during the last quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in Mastercard by 153.6% during the third quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 2,856 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,625,000 after purchasing an additional 1,730 shares during the last quarter. Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth $1,113,000. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. raised its stake in Mastercard by 1.5% during the third quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 309,192 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $175,872,000 after acquiring an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 229,299 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $130,902,000 after purchasing an additional 9,795 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MA has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Mastercard from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $739.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Macquarie Infrastructure lifted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $660.00 to $675.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup cut their target price on Mastercard from $735.00 to $675.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Mastercard from $665.00 to $678.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $659.00.

More Mastercard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects earnings growth next week, boosting the prospect of an earnings beat that can drive the stock higher. MasterCard (MA) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets upgraded MA to "strong-buy," a bullish signal from a major shop that can support buying interest. BMO Upgrade Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple business expansions and partnerships — e.g., KuCoin launching a Mastercard‑powered USDC payment card in Australia and new initiatives in South Africa and Sri Lanka — underscore network growth and new revenue streams. KuCoin Debuts Mastercard-Powered USDC Payment Card in Australia
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate sustainability and revenue progress: Mastercard reported continued revenue growth and emissions reductions, reinforcing the quality growth narrative investors like. Mastercard grows revenue, reduces emissions for third straight year
• Positive Sentiment: Investor commentary and bullish write-ups (including a positive thesis summarized on Yahoo Finance) highlight MA’s valuation vs. growth and keep buy-side interest elevated. Is Mastercard Incorporated (MA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist lowered its price target from $611 to $590 but kept a "buy" rating — slightly less upside than before but still supportive. Truist Lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation comparisons (PayPal vs. Mastercard) keep analysts debating relative value; these discussions can influence flows but are not an immediate catalyst. PYPL vs. MA: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal pressure: a new suit over card fees could increase litigation and regulatory scrutiny, creating a downside risk to margins and sentiment. Visa, Mastercard face new suit over card fees
• Negative Sentiment: Industry changes: reporting on a proposed Visa–Mastercard deal suggests merchants could gain tools to steer spending, which may pressure interchange revenue over time. Proposed Visa–Mastercard Deal Hands Merchants New Power to Steer Spending

Mastercard Stock Performance

Shares of MA opened at $504.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $449.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.83. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $480.50 and a 12-month high of $601.77. The firm's 50 day moving average is $507.62 and its 200-day moving average is $537.57.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.52. Mastercard had a return on equity of 203.92% and a net margin of 45.65%.The company had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.82 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 9th. Mastercard's payout ratio is presently 21.07%.

Mastercard Company Profile

Mastercard Incorporated is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories. The company facilitates electronic payments and transaction processing for credit, debit and prepaid card products carrying the Mastercard brand, while also providing a range of payment-related services to issuers, acquirers and merchants. Its technology and network enable authorization, clearing and settlement of payments and support a broad set of use cases including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile payments.

Beyond core transaction processing, Mastercard offers a suite of value-added services such as fraud and risk management, identity and authentication tools, tokenization and digital wallet support, cross-border and commercial payment solutions, and data analytics and consulting services for merchants and financial partners.

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