890 Mastercard Incorporated $MA Shares Sold by WealthPlan Investment Management LLC

WealthPlan Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 5.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,701 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 890 shares during the quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $8,107,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Foster Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 0.9% during the third quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 2,122 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 3.8% in the second quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Novem Group boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 0.4% in the second quarter. Novem Group now owns 4,680 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,404,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 4.5% in the second quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 444 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC grew its position in Mastercard by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,842 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Price Performance

Shares of MA stock traded up $11.99 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $615.24. 1,510,467 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,501,759. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $574.08 and a 200 day moving average of $533.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $464.52 and a 52-week high of $616.27. The company has a market cap of $538.95 billion, a PE ratio of 33.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.76.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $5.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.77 by $0.27. Mastercard had a return on equity of 239.99% and a net margin of 46.34%. The firm had revenue of $9.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.15 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.90 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Clear Str upgraded Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Mastercard from $660.00 to $710.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Mastercard from $655.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $665.00 target price on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Mastercard from $642.00 to $696.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $682.66.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Linda Kirkpatrick sold 4,280 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.31, for a total transaction of $2,440,926.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 31,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,781,695.49. This represents a 12.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Julius Genachowski sold 371 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.01, for a total value of $217,038.71. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,607 shares in the company, valued at $5,035,181.07. This trade represents a 4.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 68,359 shares of company stock worth $39,290,046. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard and BVNK launched the Mastercard Global Money Platform, a single-API infrastructure service that enables banks, fintechs and businesses to manage traditional currencies and stablecoins. The product is the first major integration since Mastercard acquired BVNK in August and could expand the company’s role in cross-border and digital-asset payments. Mastercard and BVNK launch Global Money Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and technical strategists continue to highlight Mastercard’s winning streak and potential for a longer-term breakout. The company has a broad “Buy” consensus, with several firms recently raising price targets, including UBS at $670 and Daiwa at $650. Wall Street views on Mastercard
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking for double-digit earnings growth in the upcoming third-quarter report. Mastercard’s latest quarter exceeded consensus estimates for earnings and revenue, with revenue increasing 14.1% year over year, supporting confidence in continued operating momentum. Mastercard earnings expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard is expanding its payments ecosystem through personalized payment strategies, crypto-linked card programs and stablecoin settlement, while also pursuing cybersecurity and commercial fleet-payment opportunities in emerging markets. These initiatives could create additional transaction volume over time. Mastercard personalized payments strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Director Julius Genachowski sold shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The transactions modestly reduced his holdings but are less concerning because they were scheduled in advance. Mastercard director stock sale

Mastercard Profile

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses. The company facilitates the authorization, clearing and settlement of electronic payment transactions, while generally not issuing cards or extending credit itself. Its network supports payments made in stores, online and through mobile devices.

Mastercard’s products and services include consumer and commercial payment cards, digital payment solutions, payment processing, fraud prevention, cybersecurity, identity verification, data and analytics, and open banking tools.