Mastercard Incorporated $MA Shares Sold by Comerica Bank

Key Points

• Comerica Bank trimmed its Mastercard stake by 5.7% in Q4, selling 10,915 shares and leaving 181,305 shares valued at about $103.5 million, while institutional investors own roughly 97.28% of MA.
• Mastercard reported a strong quarter—EPS of $4.76 versus $4.24 expected and revenue of $8.81 billion, up 17.5% year-over-year, with a 45.65% net margin and very high return on equity.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.87 (annualized $3.48, ~0.7% yield), and analysts overall maintain a positive stance with a consensus "Buy" rating and an average price target near $659 despite some mixed revisions.

Comerica Bank cut its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 181,305 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 10,915 shares during the period. Comerica Bank's holdings in Mastercard were worth $103,504,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MA. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 42.3% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,824 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $3,594,000 after acquiring an additional 2,028 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 2,548 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,432,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Betterment LLC lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 947 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $532,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 35.8% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 677,204 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $380,548,000 after acquiring an additional 178,387 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $431,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the company's stock.

Mastercard Stock Up 0.1%

MA stock opened at $504.58 on Monday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $480.50 and a 12-month high of $601.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The company has a market cap of $449.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.54, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50 day moving average of $507.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $537.29.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.52. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.65% and a return on equity of 203.92%. 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 revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on MA. Evercore restated a "negative" rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Mastercard from $685.00 to $655.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Mastercard from $700.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Tigress Financial upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $730.00 to $735.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $656.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Mastercard currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $659.00.

Key Stories Impacting 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 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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