Zacks Research Estimates Mastercard’s Q1 Earnings (NYSE:MA)

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) – Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Mastercard in a report released on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the credit services provider will post earnings per share of $4.26 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $4.24. The consensus estimate for Mastercard’s current full-year earnings is $15.91 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Mastercard’s Q2 2026 earnings at $4.74 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $5.03 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $5.00 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $19.03 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $4.63 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.26 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $5.69 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $6.12 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $21.70 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $25.10 EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Truist Financial set a $611.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup raised Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Daiwa America raised Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Mastercard from $665.00 to $678.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $660.00 to $668.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $669.27.

Mastercard Trading Down 1.7%

MA opened at $518.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Mastercard has a fifty-two week low of $465.59 and a fifty-two week high of $601.77. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $553.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $563.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $465.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.38, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.83.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.80 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 203.92% and a net margin of 45.65%.The firm’s revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.82 earnings per share.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders 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 is Thursday, April 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.07%.

Institutional Trading of Mastercard

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MA. Nvest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nvest Financial LLC now owns 1,505 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $846,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Mastercard by 5.6% in the second quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $191,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Rialto Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 13.0% during the second quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 156 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Robbins Farley raised its position in shares of Mastercard by 50.0% during the third quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 54 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Key Mastercard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results/revenue beat — Mastercard reported revenue and spending trends that topped forecasts, reinforcing the company’s exposure to resilient consumer and electronic payments volume. This is the primary fundamental support for shares. Mastercard Incorporated (MA) Revenue Beats Forecasts as Customers Continue to Spend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades to near-term estimates — Zacks raised several near-term EPS estimates (notably FY2026 and some 2026 quarters), implying improved expected earnings momentum into 2026 that can support valuation if sustained. MarketBeat MA overview / Zacks note
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend payment — Mastercard paid its $0.87 quarterly dividend on Feb. 9, reflecting steady shareholder returns but not an unexpected change to the company’s capital allocation policy. Carrier Global’s Quiet Dividend Strategy Deserves Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor outreach — Mastercard announced participation in investor conferences in March, which provides additional management access for investors but is routine. Mastercard to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed / trimmed longer‑term estimates — Zacks also trimmed several 2027 quarterly and FY2027 EPS forecasts even as it raised other near-term/longer-term numbers; the mixed revisions add uncertainty around multi-year growth cadence and may temper enthusiasm. MarketBeat MA overview / Zacks note
• Negative Sentiment: Profit‑taking and valuation pressure — after the earnings beat and a multi‑month run near all‑time highs, investors appear to be taking profits and reacting to any mixed signals from analysts; MA’s valuation metrics and distance from moving averages make it vulnerable to short‑term pullbacks even on good news. (No external link)

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.