Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s 9th Largest Position

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 16.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,665,727 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 237,316 shares during the period. Mastercard accounts for 1.2% of Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.18% of Mastercard worth $876,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MA. Hemenway Trust Co LLC boosted its position in Mastercard by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Hemenway Trust Co LLC now owns 99,983 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $52,648,000 after acquiring an additional 696 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its position in Mastercard by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 24,926 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $13,125,000 after purchasing an additional 1,813 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Mastercard by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,049,991 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,079,464,000 after buying an additional 54,011 shares during the period. Katamaran Capital LLP purchased a new stake in Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,466,000. Finally, Oarsman Capital Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $665,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mastercard Price Performance

Shares of MA stock opened at $489.94 on Friday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52 week low of $428.86 and a 52 week high of $582.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $446.68 billion, a PE ratio of 35.27, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $550.92 and its 200-day moving average is $528.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%. Equities research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.89%.

Mastercard declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, December 17th that authorizes the company to buyback $12.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the credit services provider to purchase up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MA has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Mastercard from $591.00 to $588.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Mastercard from $618.00 to $665.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $606.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 7,132 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $534.68, for a total transaction of $3,813,337.76. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,459,292.32. The trade was a 17.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total transaction of $8,678,774.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 84,871 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,692,629.36. The trade was a 15.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.