Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Purchased by PGGM Investments

PGGM Investments boosted its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 3.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 105,618 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,992 shares during the period. PGGM Investments’ holdings in Mastercard were worth $45,047,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 9,075,358 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,593,025,000 after acquiring an additional 251,516 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in Mastercard by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 7,966,348 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,153,957,000 after purchasing an additional 515,481 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in Mastercard by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,510,259 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,181,964,000 after purchasing an additional 306,663 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Mastercard by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,314,881 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,104,214,000 after purchasing an additional 56,642 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Mastercard by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,557,530 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,804,372,000 after purchasing an additional 16,019 shares during the period. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Mastercard

In related news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 109,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $462.78, for a total value of $50,443,020.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 96,996,308 shares in the company, valued at $44,887,951,416.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Michael Miebach sold 7,851 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $475.92, for a total value of $3,736,447.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 47,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,672,828.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 109,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $462.78, for a total transaction of $50,443,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 96,996,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,887,951,416.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 366,630 shares of company stock worth $168,746,490. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Stock Performance

MA stock traded up $0.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $462.42. 1,963,273 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,212,406. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52 week low of $357.85 and a 52 week high of $490.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $471.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $436.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $431.39 billion, a PE ratio of 39.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.10. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.60% and a return on equity of 191.22%. The company had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.65 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be paid a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 8th. Mastercard’s payout ratio is presently 22.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $480.00 to $490.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Mizuho reissued a “buy” rating and set a $480.00 target price on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $504.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $475.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $490.23.

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.