Gavilan Investment Partners LLC Purchases 3,000 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Gavilan Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 6.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,500 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises approximately 6.6% of Gavilan Investment Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Gavilan Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Mastercard were worth $24,733,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MA. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its position in Mastercard by 820.0% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 46 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hyposwiss Advisors SA acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Mastercard by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 57 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the company's stock.

Mastercard Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:MA opened at $530.52 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $468.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.73. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $507.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $514.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.98. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52 week low of $464.52 and a 52 week high of $601.77.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The credit services provider reported $4.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.41 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $8.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.26 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.88% and a return on equity of 212.96%. Mastercard's revenue for the quarter was up 15.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.73 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.14%.

Mastercard News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard announced new enhancements to its virtual card platform, including stronger security controls, embedded payments capabilities, and single-API access. This supports growth in B2B payments and could improve adoption of Mastercard’s commercial payment tools. Mastercard Expands Virtual Card Platform with New Security Controls, Embedded Payments Network and Single API Access
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard is being highlighted by commentators like Jim Cramer as a “tech company in bank clothing,” reinforcing the market’s view of MA as a high-margin payments compounder with durable growth characteristics. Mastercard NYSE: MA: Jim Cramer’s “Tech Company in Bank Clothing”
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expectations are building for Mastercard’s upcoming earnings report, with analysts looking for another earnings beat and continued profit growth. That can support the stock if results and guidance confirm strong consumer spending and transaction volume trends. MasterCard (MA) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard is also expanding into the creator economy through a new debit card partnership, which adds another growth avenue but is not yet large enough to move fundamentals on its own. Mastercard Sees the Next Payments Customer in the Creator Economy
• Neutral Sentiment: Several recent articles and market commentary have focused on Mastercard’s valuation, long-term moat, and competitive positioning versus peers like Affirm. These pieces are more about sentiment than immediate catalysts, though they contribute to the mixed tone around the stock. Mastercard vs. Affirm: Which Fintech Stock Has More Room to Run?
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage suggests Mastercard may be less attractive than faster-growing fintech names such as Affirm on a valuation and upside basis, which could temper investor enthusiasm. Mastercard vs. Affirm: Which Fintech Stock Has More Room to Run?
• Negative Sentiment: There is also ongoing speculation about a possible sale of a majority stake in Mastercard’s UK payments subsidiary Vocalink, which adds uncertainty around a key infrastructure asset. Is Mastercard (MA) Cheap Or Fully Valued On Vocalink Sale Talk?

Insider Activity at Mastercard

In other news, insider Sandra A. Arkell sold 200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $540.00, for a total value of $108,000.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 3,322 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,793,880. This trade represents a 5.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Raj Seshadri sold 4,828 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $525.00, for a total transaction of $2,534,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 16,429 shares in the company, valued at $8,625,225. This represents a 22.71% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,005 shares of company stock worth $3,689,976. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays began coverage on Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $640.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Mastercard from $656.00 to $629.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Mastercard from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Loop Capital reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $631.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $653.92.

About Mastercard

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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