State of Michigan Retirement System Has $137.91 Million Stake in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Key Points

• State of Michigan Retirement System trimmed its Mastercard position by 5.2% to 241,581 shares worth $137.91 million, making MA its 21st-largest holding and 0.7% of the fund's portfolio.
• Mastercard topped quarterly expectations with $4.76 EPS (vs. $4.24 est.) and $8.81 billion in revenue—up 17.5% year-over-year—while the company carries a market cap near $450 billion and a P/E of about 30.5.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive (average rating: Buy, average target ~$659) but the stock faces downside risks from a new suit over card fees and potential industry changes that could pressure interchange revenue.

State of Michigan Retirement System lowered its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 241,581 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 13,200 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises 0.7% of State of Michigan Retirement System's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. State of Michigan Retirement System's holdings in Mastercard were worth $137,914,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 36,580,374 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $20,807,283,000 after purchasing an additional 997,536 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Mastercard by 1.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 79,431,340 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $45,181,341,000 after purchasing an additional 955,533 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in Mastercard by 792.2% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 865,523 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $494,110,000 after purchasing an additional 768,514 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in Mastercard by 6.5% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,347,834 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,885,944,000 after buying an additional 629,941 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $245,980,000. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Stock Performance

NYSE MA opened at $504.58 on Monday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $507.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $537.29. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $480.50 and a 12-month high of $601.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The company has a market cap of $449.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.54, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.83.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $8.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.82 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

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

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on MA. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $685.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. They set a "buy" rating and a $700.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial decreased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $707.00 to $631.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $660.00 to $668.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Mastercard has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $659.00.

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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