Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Trims Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG reduced its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 18.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 43,124 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 9,669 shares during the period. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $24,619,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MA. Robbins Farley lifted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 50.0% during the third quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 54 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC grew its stake in Mastercard by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 841 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $479,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Alpine Bank Wealth Management grew its stake in Mastercard by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 1,817 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,034,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Zullo Investment Group Inc. raised its holdings in Mastercard by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,091 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $621,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Mastercard by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 108 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE MA opened at $491.96 on Thursday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $465.59 and a 52-week high of $601.77. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $517.71 and a 200-day moving average of $545.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $438.74 billion, a PE ratio of 29.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.52. Mastercard had a return on equity of 203.92% and a net margin of 45.65%.The business had revenue of $8.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.80 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.82 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Mastercard from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $600.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Daiwa Securities Group set a $610.00 target price on Mastercard and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen raised Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Mastercard has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $664.40.

Trending Headlines about Mastercard

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Amazon selects Mastercard/U.S. Bank to issue new U.S. business credit cards (replacing AmEx), a meaningful new client win that should drive transaction volume and net‑interchange revenue over time. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Loop Capital initiated coverage with a Buy rating and $631 price target, signaling analyst confidence in MA after recent pullbacks; positive momentum for investor sentiment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Traditional finance continues to muscle into crypto: Franklin Templeton bought 250 Digital, and fintechs are launching stablecoin card rails that run on Mastercard’s network — potential new volume and fee streams as digital assets integrate with card payments. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard is reportedly exploring selling a European “real payment” unit (acquired 2019) that generates ~$370M revenue and ~$100M earnings — could shrink recurring revenue if sold but may free capital to invest in higher‑growth blockchain/stablecoin initiatives. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst action: Evercore ISI reiterated an In Line rating ($610 PT) and UBS trimmed its target from $700 to $650 while keeping a Buy — supports longer‑term upside but highlights near‑term valuation reassessment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Australia’s central bank plans to ban merchant surcharges from October, a policy that could pressure card‑related fees and merchant economics in a key market. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/reputational noise persists (FTC scrutiny referenced over past conduct), a reminder that public policy and reputation risk can affect issuer/processor relationships and costs. Read More.

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.