Mastercard Incorporated $MA Stake Boosted by Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc

Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc increased its stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 48.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,590 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,176 shares during the period. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $2,115,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Robinswood Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Hyposwiss Advisors SA bought a new stake in Mastercard in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. First Pacific Financial lifted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 113.8% in the 1st quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 62 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in Mastercard during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Stock Up 1.5%

MA stock traded up $9.01 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $604.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,620,278 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,502,569. The company has a market cap of $529.20 billion, a PE ratio of 33.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $572.76 and its 200-day moving average is $532.04. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $464.52 and a 12 month high of $604.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $5.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.77 by $0.27. Mastercard had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 239.99%. The company had revenue of $9.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.15 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.90 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on MA. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $640.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $670.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $597.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Dbs Bank raised Mastercard to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Mastercard from $655.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mastercard has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $681.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Linda Kirkpatrick sold 4,280 shares of Mastercard 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 sale, the insider owned 31,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,781,695.49. This trade represents a 12.07% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Sachin Mehra sold 3,266 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $584.00, for a total transaction of $1,907,344.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 36,650 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,403,600. The trade was a 8.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 67,618 shares of company stock valued at $38,854,630 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Mastercard

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Digital-wallet growth supports Mastercard’s core business. Digital wallets now represent 56% of global online shopping spending, while artificial intelligence and instant payments are creating additional opportunities. Mastercard is identified as one of the leading mobile-payments stocks positioned to benefit from these trends. Top Mobile Payments Stocks to Buy as Digital Wallet Adoption Soars
• Positive Sentiment: New payment-network partnerships could expand transaction volumes. Mastercard and WEX launched an Asia-Pacific fleet-payments network expected to process billions of dollars in annual transactions as it expands across the region. Mastercard also partnered with SoFi Tech Solutions and Mexican fintech Orbi on a crypto-backed card program, linking digital assets with Mastercard’s payment rails. WEX and Mastercard Launch APAC Fleet Payments Network
• Positive Sentiment: Stablecoin and AI initiatives enhance Mastercard’s growth narrative. Reports that Mastercard, Stripe and Circle may spend up to $3.3 billion on stablecoin operators point to a strategic push into blockchain-based payments. Mastercard is also developing safeguards against unauthorized spending by autonomous AI agents, potentially strengthening its role in emerging commerce channels. Stripe, Mastercard and Circle Agree to Pay Up to $3.3 Billion for Stablecoin Operators
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard research found that 79% of young people have used AI to research products. The finding highlights changing consumer behavior and potential long-term opportunities, but does not immediately alter earnings expectations. Mastercard Research: 79% of Young People Have Used AI to Research Products
• Negative Sentiment: Litigation risk could pressure the stock. Mastercard and Visa face a reported £700 million class action related to post-Brexit fees. The claim could create legal costs, potential damages and regulatory scrutiny, although its ultimate financial impact remains uncertain. Visa and Mastercard Face £700m Class Action Over Post-Brexit Fees

About Mastercard

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.