Greenleaf Trust Acquires 423 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Greenleaf Trust increased its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,520 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 423 shares during the quarter. Greenleaf Trust’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $12,591,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Barometer Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. grew its position in Mastercard by 661.5% during the third quarter. Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. now owns 99 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.2 %

MA stock traded up $0.69 during trading on Friday, hitting $455.39. The company had a trading volume of 2,545,303 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,408,385. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $471.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $433.36. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $357.85 and a 12 month high of $490.00. The stock has a market cap of $424.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.42, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.46 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.60% and a return on equity of 191.22%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.65 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 8th. Mastercard’s payout ratio is 22.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

In other Mastercard news, insider Ajay Bhalla sold 98 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $439.52, for a total transaction of $43,072.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 6,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,740,407.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Ajay Bhalla sold 98 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $439.52, for a total value of $43,072.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 6,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,740,407.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Craig Vosburg sold 13,542 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.06, for a total transaction of $6,230,132.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 46,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,388,649.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 148,728 shares of company stock worth $68,483,403. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on MA. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $452.00 to $504.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $504.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $535.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. TD Cowen began coverage on Mastercard in a report on Thursday, April 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $545.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $480.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $490.23.

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.