Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Sold by Gulf International Bank UK Ltd

Key Points

• Gulf International Bank UK Ltd reduced its holdings in Mastercard by 27.4%, owning 47,084 shares valued at approximately $25.81 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Multiple institutional investors have increased their stakes in Mastercard, with Canandaigua National Trust Co increasing its position by 36.4% during the first quarter.
• Mastercard reported $4.15 EPS in its latest quarterly earnings, exceeding analyst estimates of $4.05 and showcasing a 16.8% year-over-year revenue growth.

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd lowered its stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 27.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,084 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 17,801 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises about 0.9% of Gulf International Bank UK Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd's holdings in Mastercard were worth $25,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Navigoe LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 10Elms LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the first quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MA shares. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $639.00 to $661.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $635.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $650.00 to $656.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $650.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $655.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $617.93.

Mastercard Stock Performance

NYSE:MA traded down $1.70 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $582.06. The stock had a trading volume of 2,263,560 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,818,117. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $563.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $554.40. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $461.90 and a 12-month high of $594.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41. The stock has a market cap of $526.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.03.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The credit services provider reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.05 by $0.10. Mastercard had a return on equity of 200.01% and a net margin of 44.93%. The company had revenue of $8.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.50 earnings per share. Mastercard's quarterly revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 9th were issued a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 9th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.50%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, insider Linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick sold 958 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.00, for a total value of $536,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 23,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,229,440. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Julius Genachowski sold 312 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $570.67, for a total value of $178,049.04. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,833,004.23. This trade represents a 3.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 38,453 shares of company stock worth $20,178,667 in the last ninety days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Mastercard

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.