Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Sold by Bridgewater Associates LP

Bridgewater Associates LP lessened its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 85.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 53,837 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 304,472 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $26,585,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard during the second quarter worth $35,000. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Mastercard by 74.0% in the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Stock Performance

Shares of MA opened at $532.19 on Thursday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $404.32 and a 52-week high of $534.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $488.46 billion, a PE ratio of 40.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $508.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $475.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.16. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.26% and a return on equity of 178.27%. The business had revenue of $7.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 9th were given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 9th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.50%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

In other Mastercard news, CMO Venkata R. Madabhushi sold 4,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $489.86, for a total transaction of $2,294,994.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 15,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,363,085.66. This represents a 23.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on MA. BNP Paribas cut Mastercard from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $470.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $515.00 to $580.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Argus upgraded Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Mastercard from $544.00 to $564.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $549.16.

Mastercard Company 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.