KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Has $204.06 Million Stock Position in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its stake in Mastercard by 2.2%, owning a total of $204.06 million worth of shares, making it the firm's 15th biggest position.
• Mastercard reported $4.15 earnings per share for its latest quarter, beating estimates, with revenues of $8.13 billion, a 16.8% increase year-over-year.
• The firm announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, reflecting a dividend yield of 0.5%, with a payout ratio of 20.50%.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 363,134 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 7,800 shares during the period. Mastercard makes up approximately 0.9% of KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's holdings in Mastercard were worth $204,060,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MA. Accredited Investors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Mastercard by 2.6% in the first quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. now owns 718 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $394,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Mastercard by 2.9% during the first quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 632 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC boosted its position in Mastercard by 1.8% during the first quarter. Phillips Wealth Planners LLC now owns 1,055 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $538,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Alta Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Mastercard by 3.6% during the first quarter. Alta Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 540 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $296,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC boosted its position in Mastercard by 2.0% during the first quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 986 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $540,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MA opened at $578.91 on Tuesday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $580.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $562.33. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1-year low of $465.59 and a 1-year high of $601.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $523.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The credit services provider reported $4.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.10. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.93% and a return on equity of 200.01%. The firm had revenue of $8.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.50 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 9th will be issued a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 9th. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

In related news, CFO J. Mehra Sachin sold 17,263 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $591.00, for a total value of $10,202,433.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 31,234 shares in the company, valued at $18,459,294. This represents a 35.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on MA shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $639.00 to $661.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Mastercard from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $650.00 to $656.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $650.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $634.04.

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.

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