Mastercard Incorporated $MA Stock Position Decreased by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 109,918 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 10,327 shares during the quarter. Mastercard makes up about 0.8% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $62,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Mastercard by 42.3% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,824 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,594,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares during the last quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,464,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 11.9% in the 2nd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 11,055 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,212,000 after acquiring an additional 1,180 shares in the last quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Mastercard by 3.7% during the second quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,385 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $778,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in Mastercard by 0.9% during the second quarter. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 29,505 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $16,580,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MA shares. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Monday. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $640.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. UBS Group raised their price target on Mastercard from $690.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $662.08.

Mastercard Trading Down 0.5%

Mastercard stock opened at $539.82 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $557.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $566.51. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $465.59 and a 12 month high of $601.77. The stock has a market cap of $484.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.86.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The credit services provider reported $4.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $8.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.53 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 202.03% and a net margin of 45.28%.Mastercard’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Mastercard’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.25%.

Key Mastercard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s “API-first” push is turning Mastercard into a broader payments infrastructure provider — embedding tokenization, fraud tools and open-banking connections that can create stickier, higher-margin revenue streams. Why Mastercard’s API-First Strategy Is Becoming a Growth Multiplier
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and earnings models expect Mastercard to continue its streak of beats — the firm’s recent quarter showed strong revenue and EPS growth, and consensus forecasts imply continued upside to estimates. Will MasterCard (MA) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish equity research (Seeking Alpha) reiterates Mastercard’s wide moat and resilient business model, arguing regulatory scenarios would likely have limited EPS downside — supporting the view that pullbacks may be buying opportunities. Mastercard: A Fire To Run Towards
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst ratings remain constructive (average “Buy”), which can support demand if macro/regulatory noise stabilizes. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention and technical interest have increased after a recent pullback, which could amplify moves in either direction depending on next catalysts (earnings, regulatory updates). Is Trending Stock Mastercard Incorporated (MA) a Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal setback in the U.K.: the High Court ruled the payments regulator can set a cap on cross-border interchange fees, increasing the risk of fee restrictions in key markets and prompting immediate investor concern. Mastercard, Visa and Revolut lose UK case over proposed cross-border card fees cap
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. policy risk is rising: senators reintroduced the Credit Card Competition Act and political rhetoric (including presidential support for fee/rate caps) has intensified, creating headline risk that could pressure margins if legislation advances. Senators reintroduce Credit Card Competition Act after Trump endorses bill to lower swipe fees

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.