United Asset Strategies Inc. Raises Stake in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Key Points

• United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its ownership in Mastercard by 2.8%, acquiring an additional 1,065 shares, bringing its total to 39,298 shares valued at approximately $21.54 million.
• Insider selling activity was noted, including Director Julius Genachowski selling 312 shares and insider Craig Vosburg selling 14,051 shares, indicating a decrease in their ownership.
• Analysts have adjusted their price targets for Mastercard, with a consensus target price of $617.93, and multiple firms maintaining "buy" or "outperform" ratings on the stock.

United Asset Strategies Inc. grew its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 39,298 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 1,065 shares during the period. Mastercard accounts for 2.0% of United Asset Strategies Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. United Asset Strategies Inc.'s holdings in Mastercard were worth $21,540,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MA. Keystone Global Partners LLC bought a new position in Mastercard during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 10Elms LLP bought a new position in Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Navigoe LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Julius Genachowski sold 312 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.67, for a total transaction of $178,049.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,469 shares in the company, valued at $4,833,004.23. This represents a 3.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Craig Vosburg sold 14,051 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.05, for a total transaction of $8,220,537.55. Following the transaction, the insider owned 58,451 shares in the company, valued at $34,196,757.55. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 56,269 shares of company stock valued at $30,634,699. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Macquarie cut their price target on Mastercard from $645.00 to $610.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wolfe Research set a $655.00 target price on Mastercard in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Friday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $650.00 to $656.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $635.00 to $660.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $617.93.

Mastercard Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of MA stock opened at $592.2310 on Thursday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $461.90 and a 12-month high of $594.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $563.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $555.28. The firm has a market cap of $535.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.03.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.95 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.50 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 9th were given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 9th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Mastercard's payout ratio is presently 20.50%.

Mastercard Company 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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