Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio decreased its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 359,867 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 75,618 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for approximately 0.7% of Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Mastercard were worth $189,495,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MA. NewSquare Capital LLC bought a new position in Mastercard during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new stake in Mastercard in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP 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 Price Performance

Shares of MA opened at $569.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $519.44 billion, a PE ratio of 41.02, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $539.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $537.40. Mastercard Incorporated has a twelve month low of $428.86 and a twelve month high of $588.45.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The credit services provider reported $3.73 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.57 by $0.16. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%. The company had revenue of $7.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.31 EPS. Mastercard's quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MA has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Mastercard from $572.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Mastercard from $605.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. DZ Bank raised Mastercard from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $620.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $633.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Mastercard from $585.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $606.25.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, insider Sandra A. Arkell sold 150 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $580.00, for a total transaction of $87,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,255 shares in the company, valued at $1,887,900. This trade represents a 4.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 7,132 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $534.68, for a total transaction of $3,813,337.76. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,459,292.32. This represents a 17.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 23,207 shares of company stock valued at $12,664,529 over the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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