St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC Buys New Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,750 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,869,000. Mastercard comprises approximately 1.7% of St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Foster Group Inc. lifted its position in Mastercard by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 2,122 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,170,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Athena Wealth Management LLC now owns 514 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $264,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Novem Group increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Novem Group now owns 4,680 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,404,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 4.5% in the second quarter. Vista Capital Partners Inc. now owns 444 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 0.7% in the first quarter. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,842 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Stock Performance

NYSE:MA traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $617.14. The company had a trading volume of 3,428,184 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,111,186. 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 Incorporated has a 52 week low of $464.52 and a 52 week high of $622.49. The firm has a market cap of $540.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.95, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $575.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $534.99.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $5.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.77 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $9.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.08 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 239.99%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.15 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 19.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 9th. Investors of record on Friday, October 9th will be issued a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Mastercard’s payout ratio is presently 19.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Mastercard from $650.00 to $695.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $597.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised Mastercard from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Mastercard from $670.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $631.00 to $647.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $682.66.

Key Headlines Impacting Mastercard

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Broader investor rotation is supporting the stock. Mastercard is among the companies reaching record levels as investors diversify beyond the artificial-intelligence and semiconductor trade. Upcoming earnings could help sustain the broader market rally. Coca-Cola, Visa and Mastercard Hit Records as Investors Rotate Out of Chip Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially improved access to China is a significant catalyst. U.S. officials raised market-access issues for Mastercard and Citigroup during bilateral talks, reiterating that approval for expanded operations had been agreed upon during September’s U.S.-China discussions. Greater access could expand Mastercard’s long-term payments opportunity in China. U.S. raises Mastercard, Citigroup China market access in bilateral Bangkok talks
• Positive Sentiment: The Global Money Platform expands Mastercard’s role in digital payments. Mastercard and BVNK launched a single-API platform allowing banks, fintechs and businesses to hold, convert and spend fiat currencies and stablecoins across Mastercard’s network. The product is the first major integration since Mastercard acquired BVNK and could create new transaction and infrastructure revenue opportunities. Mastercard and BVNK Launch Global Money Platform to Power a Multi-Money World
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect another earnings beat. Coverage points to Mastercard’s history of exceeding consensus estimates and favorable earnings-surprise indicators. That optimism is supported by the company’s latest reported quarter, when revenue grew 14.1% year over year and earnings exceeded expectations. Will MasterCard Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum is strong, but valuation warrants monitoring. Mastercard has extended a multiday winning streak and moved into a buy zone, while commentary suggests the stock could be undervalued if its returns on capital remain durable. However, its elevated valuation means disappointing guidance or slower payments growth could increase downside risk. Mastercard Stock Could Be 32% Undervalued After Stablecoin Payments Push

Insider Transactions at Mastercard

In other Mastercard news, insider Linda Kirkpatrick sold 4,280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.31, for a total value of $2,440,926.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 31,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,781,695.49. This represents a 12.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Sachin Mehra sold 3,266 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $584.00, for a total value of $1,907,344.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 36,650 shares in the company, valued at $21,403,600. The trade was a 8.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 68,359 shares of company stock worth $39,290,046 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.