Mastercard Incorporated $MA Shares Purchased by Vanguard Group Inc.

Key Points

• Vanguard raised its Mastercard stake 0.6% to 79,897,854 shares — roughly 8.90% of the company — valued at $45.61 billion, making MA its 17th-largest holding.
• Analysts are broadly positive with a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $659, backed by multiple recent upgrades and buy/strong‑buy notes.
• Mastercard beat Q earnings estimates (EPS $4.76 vs. $4.24 est.) with revenue up 17.5% to $8.81B, and announced a $0.87 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.48, ~0.7% yield) payable May 8.

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 79,897,854 shares of the credit services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 466,514 shares during the period. Mastercard accounts for 0.7% of Vanguard Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 8.90% of Mastercard worth $45,612,087,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MA. Tacita Capital Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 50.0% during the 3rd quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 57 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 250.0% during the 3rd quarter. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC now owns 56 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Dagco Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Dagco Inc. now owns 66 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard in the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Clayton Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 627.3% in the 4th quarter. Clayton Financial Group LLC now owns 80 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on MA. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $739.00 target price on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mastercard from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, March 15th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday, March 5th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $700.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Mastercard to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $659.00.

Mastercard Stock Performance

Shares of MA stock opened at $504.58 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $507.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $537.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. Mastercard Incorporated has a one year low of $480.50 and a one year high of $601.77. The firm has a market cap 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 (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.52. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.65% and a return on equity of 203.92%. The firm had revenue of $8.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.82 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.52 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about Mastercard

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 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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