Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC Raises Position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 4.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,656 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 862 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises about 0.8% of Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest position. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $8,810,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Bollard Group LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Barometer Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mastercard Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE:MA traded up $3.62 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $481.57. 2,207,475 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,443,068. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $464.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $426.46. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1 year low of $355.82 and a 1 year high of $490.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $449.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.46 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.60% and a return on equity of 191.22%. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.65 EPS. Analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, December 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $11.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the credit services provider to buy up to 2.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be issued a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 8th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. Mastercard’s payout ratio is 22.32%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 8,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $430.26, for a total transaction of $3,829,314.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 46,491 shares in the company, valued at $20,003,217.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 8,900 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $430.26, for a total value of $3,829,314.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 46,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,003,217.66. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.25, for a total value of $97,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 97,543,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,527,976,823. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 50,628 shares of company stock valued at $23,309,067. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MA has been the subject of a number of research reports. Mizuho reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $480.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday. Monness Crespi & Hardt started coverage on Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Mastercard from $530.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Mastercard from $425.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Mastercard from $432.00 to $499.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $479.62.

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.