Andra AP fonden Increases Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Andra AP fonden increased its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 29.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 116,400 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,600 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for 0.9% of Andra AP fonden’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Andra AP fonden’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $66,209,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MA. Vulcan Value Partners LLC lifted its stake in Mastercard by 6.5% in the third quarter. Vulcan Value Partners LLC now owns 466,222 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $265,233,000 after acquiring an additional 28,331 shares during the period. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Mastercard by 153.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nicholson Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 2,856 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,625,000 after purchasing an additional 1,730 shares in the last quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 309,192 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $175,872,000 after purchasing an additional 4,700 shares during the period. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 88.9% in the 3rd quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 15,335 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $8,723,000 after purchasing an additional 7,215 shares during the period. Finally, Global X Japan Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 3,694.7% during the 3rd quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 9,297 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $5,288,000 after purchasing an additional 9,052 shares in the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Price Performance

MA opened at $514.55 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $458.88 billion, a PE ratio of 31.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.83. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $546.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $559.97. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1 year low of $465.59 and a 1 year high of $601.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.80 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.65% and a return on equity of 203.92%. Mastercard’s revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.82 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.07%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Compass Point upgraded shares of Mastercard from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $620.00 to $735.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $685.00 target price on Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $656.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Mastercard from $665.00 to $678.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered their price objective on Mastercard from $707.00 to $631.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $669.27.

Key Mastercard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major product rollout — MetaMask Card goes broadly live in the U.S., letting users pay with crypto anywhere Mastercard is accepted and keeping assets self-custodial; the launch includes on-chain rewards and availability in New York, which strengthens Mastercard’s position in crypto payments. Mastercard Brings MetaMask Crypto Payments to US Shoppers
• Positive Sentiment: Wider MetaMask partnership rollout reported across U.S. issuances and card programs — multiple outlets note the MetaMask–Mastercard card and debit-like product expansion, reinforcing expected volume and fee capture from crypto-native spend. MetaMask expands Mastercard crypto card across the US
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic hiring for crypto and DeFi — Mastercard is recruiting a Director of Crypto Flows to lead stablecoin card launches and DeFi integrations, signaling deeper commitment to digital-asset revenue streams. This hiring was flagged across industry outlets and suggests ongoing product investment rather than a beta experiment. Mastercard Seeks Director of Crypto Flows as Payments Giant Deepens Digital Asset Push
• Positive Sentiment: Regional growth partnership — Mastercard signed a deal to accelerate digital payments in Tanzania, supporting geographic expansion and payment volume growth in underpenetrated markets. (Mastercard, Tananian firm partner to fast-track the transformation of digital payment)
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor divestiture — Mastercard sold SessionM to Capillary Technologies for $20 million; small proceeds and focus on core payments/crypto strategy may be viewed as portfolio simplification rather than material to earnings. Capillary Technologies acquires SessionM from Mastercard for $20 million
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor attention — Zacks highlights strong retail interest in MA stock, which can amplify intraday moves but doesn’t signal fundamental changes by itself. Investors Heavily Search Mastercard Incorporated (MA): Here is What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure — European payment apps are explicitly targeting Visa/Mastercard dominance in retail payments; new local rails or fintechs could pressure merchant fees or market share in certain regions over time. European payment app targets Visa, Mastercard dominance with retail-payments push
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/industry skepticism — A critical report (Citrini) warned of potential issues for Mastercard if crypto traction stalls; timing of hires and expansion invites scrutiny about whether crypto efforts will be accretive or costly. Mastercard Hires for Crypto Just as Citrini Warns It Could Be Obsolete

Mastercard 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.