Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Bought by Whalerock Point Partners LLC

Whalerock Point Partners LLC lifted its stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,678 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 185 shares during the quarter. Mastercard makes up 1.8% of Whalerock Point Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Whalerock Point Partners LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $7,729,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MA. NewSquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Mastercard in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Truvestments Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Mastercard by 62.5% during the fourth quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 65 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:MA opened at $533.26 on Friday. Mastercard Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $428.86 and a fifty-two week high of $582.23. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $534.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $530.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The stock has a market cap of $486.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 9th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on MA shares. Susquehanna increased their target price on Mastercard from $605.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Mastercard from $654.00 to $644.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an “in-line” rating and a $550.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $635.00 price target (up from $591.00) on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt downgraded shares of Mastercard from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $607.96.

Insider Activity

In other Mastercard news, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 7,132 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $534.68, for a total value of $3,813,337.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 34,524 shares in the company, valued at $18,459,292.32. This represents a 17.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total value of $8,678,774.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 84,871 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $46,692,629.36. This trade represents a 15.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.