Munro Partners Sells 14,890 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Munro Partners lowered its stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 185,454 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 14,890 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for 2.9% of Munro Partners’ investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Munro Partners’ holdings in Mastercard were worth $105,488,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. LGT Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Flaharty Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Mastercard in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Mastercard from $669.00 to $660.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $665.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Hsbc Global Res raised Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Mastercard from $638.00 to $630.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $645.00 to $654.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $657.48.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of MA opened at $576.68 on Wednesday. Mastercard Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $465.59 and a fifty-two week high of $601.77. The business has a 50-day moving average of $554.34 and a 200 day moving average of $565.68. The firm has a market cap of $517.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The credit services provider reported $4.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by $0.07. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.28% and a return on equity of 202.03%. The firm had revenue of $8.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.89 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Mastercard’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.44%.

Mastercard News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Launched “Merchant Cloud,” a new suite aimed at helping merchants modernize digital commerce and accelerate omnichannel payments adoption — broadens merchant solutions and potential SaaS-style revenue. Mastercard introduces Merchant Cloud for the evolving digital commerce landscape
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard SpendingPulse reports U.S. retail sales (ex-auto) up about 3.9% Y/Y through Dec. 21, signaling stronger consumer spending and higher payments volume for Mastercard. Mastercard SpendingPulse: Savvy Shoppers and E-Commerce Fuel U.S. Holiday Retail Sales Growth by 3.9% YOY
• Positive Sentiment: Industry preliminary data from Visa and Mastercard shows ~4% U.S. holiday retail growth — reinforces the SpendingPulse read and supports expectations for higher take‑rates and processed volume. Visa and Mastercard report 4% growth in US holiday retail sales
• Positive Sentiment: Expanded strategic partnerships to accelerate “agentic commerce”: Fiserv will implement Mastercard’s Agent Pay Acceptance Framework at scale, improving merchant access to AI-driven payment flows. This increases distribution and could boost volume over time. Fiserv and Mastercard Partner to Advance Trusted Agentic Commerce For Merchants
• Positive Sentiment: Partnership with LoanPro to offer “Loan on Card” expands credit and lending capabilities delivered via Mastercard rails — potential new fees and deeper issuer relationships. Mastercard Incorporated (MA) Partners with LoanPro to Offer Loan on Card
• Positive Sentiment: FAB (First Abu Dhabi Bank) and Mastercard launched mobile-first virtual corporate cards in the UAE, strengthening commercial card presence in a fast-growing corporate-payments market. FAB and Mastercard transform UAE business payments with mobile-first virtual corporate cards
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and interviews (e.g., regional execs on digital payments/crypto) provide strategic color but no near-term financial impact disclosed. Mastercard’s Prakriti Singh and Raj Dhamodharan discuss the future of digital payments and crypto in the region
• Neutral Sentiment: Options‑market writeup notes increased derivatives activity around MA — indicates trader interest/positioning but not a fundamental directional signal. Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in Mastercard
• Neutral Sentiment: MSN and other outlets highlighted holiday e‑commerce trends based on Mastercard data — supportive macro picture but largely reiterative. Holiday shoppers turn to e-commerce for deals and convenience — Mastercard

Mastercard Company Profile

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.