Zacks Research Estimates Mastercard’s Q1 Earnings (NYSE:MA)

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Mastercard in a note issued to investors on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the credit services provider will earn $4.26 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $4.24. The consensus estimate for Mastercard’s current full-year earnings is $15.91 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Mastercard’s Q2 2026 earnings at $4.74 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $5.03 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $5.00 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $19.03 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.63 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.26 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.69 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $6.12 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $21.70 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $25.10 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on MA. Daiwa Securities Group set a $610.00 target price on shares of Mastercard and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Compass Point upgraded Mastercard from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $620.00 to $735.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $665.00 target price on shares of Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Mastercard to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $669.27.

Mastercard Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:MA opened at $527.65 on Friday. Mastercard has a 52-week low of $465.59 and a 52-week high of $601.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $554.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $563.50. The company has a market capitalization of $473.83 billion, a PE ratio of 31.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.83.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $8.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.80 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 203.92% and a net margin of 45.65%.Mastercard’s quarterly revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.82 earnings per share.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mastercard

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MA. LGT Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard during the second quarter worth about $25,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Mastercard by 820.0% during the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 46 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Robbins Farley grew its holdings in Mastercard by 50.0% in the third quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 54 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Mastercard

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised Mastercard’s FY2026 outlook (now $19.03 from $18.80) and issued higher long‑range FY2028 EPS forecasts ($25.10), implying stronger medium‑term earnings growth and supporting valuation. (Zacks estimate revisions reported 2/12–2/13)
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage notes Mastercard’s revenue beat as customers continue to spend — this reinforces the company’s underlying transaction volume strength and supports upside to revenue and fee growth. Mastercard Incorporated (MA) revenue beats forecasts as customers continue to spend
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard announced participation in two March investor conferences — gives management chances to update guidance and reassure investors but is routine. Mastercard to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/strategy coverage discusses Mastercard’s positioning around stablecoins and crypto rails — signals strategic focus on future payments infrastructure but not an immediate earnings swing. Visa and Mastercard Bet Stablecoins Are the Future of Payments
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard launched knowledge‑sharing exchanges with the Central Bank of Syria under a strategic collaboration framework — a geopolitical / compliance angle to monitor; immediate financial impact appears limited. Mastercard and Central Bank of Syria launch knowledge-sharing exchanges under strategic collaboration framework
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed a handful of 2027 quarterly EPS estimates (Q1, Q2, Q3 2027 and a small FY2027 cut to $21.70 from $21.77), which may pressure short‑term sentiment as investors reassess near‑term margin/timing assumptions. (Zacks estimate revisions reported 2/12–2/13)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also ran a broader piece highlighting Mastercard as a growth stock (style/score discussion) — supportive for longer‑term investor interest but not an immediate catalyst. Here’s Why MasterCard (MA) is a Strong Growth Stock

About Mastercard

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.