Teacher Retirement System of Texas Raises Stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 47.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 427,116 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 137,815 shares during the quarter. Mastercard makes up approximately 0.8% of Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Mastercard were worth $224,906,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its position in shares of Mastercard by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 2,561 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,400,000. GCQ FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY Ltd purchased a new stake in Mastercard in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,355,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Mastercard by 205.8% during the fourth quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 14,546 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $7,668,000 after acquiring an additional 9,790 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wulff Hansen & CO. raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 9.7% during the fourth quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 1,075 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $566,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mastercard Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of MA stock opened at $535.93 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $488.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $546.56 and its 200 day moving average is $523.92. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $428.86 and a 12-month high of $582.23.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard had a return on equity of 188.47% and a net margin of 45.71%. Research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, December 17th that allows the company to repurchase $12.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the credit services provider to purchase up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on MA shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Mastercard from $572.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $635.00 target price (up from $591.00) on shares of Mastercard in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group lifted their price target on Mastercard from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Raymond James reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $640.00 price objective (up previously from $614.00) on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Tigress Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Monday, March 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $606.11.

About Mastercard

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.