AMF Tjanstepension AB Lowers Stock Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

AMF Tjanstepension AB reduced its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 25.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 273,058 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 93,531 shares during the period. Mastercard comprises about 1.0% of AMF Tjanstepension AB’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest holding. AMF Tjanstepension AB’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $107,412,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MA. Bornite Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard during the first quarter worth $21,442,000. United Bank boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 34.5% during the first quarter. United Bank now owns 6,007 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,147,000 after buying an additional 1,541 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 30.1% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 272,358 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $97,335,000 after buying an additional 63,040 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the first quarter valued at $1,168,000. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the first quarter valued at $12,926,000. 74.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Stock Performance

NYSE MA opened at $410.79 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $276.87 and a 52-week high of $418.60. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $400.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $380.70. The firm has a market cap of $387.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.10.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.84 by $0.05. Mastercard had a return on equity of 178.10% and a net margin of 43.37%. The firm had revenue of $6.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.56 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 14.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th were issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 6th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.37%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO J. Mehra Sachin sold 10,838 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $394.38, for a total transaction of $4,274,290.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,166,426.66. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO J. Mehra Sachin sold 10,838 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $394.38, for a total transaction of $4,274,290.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,166,426.66. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Hai Ling sold 3,324 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $415.00, for a total transaction of $1,379,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 17,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,294,455. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 407,267 shares of company stock worth $161,485,243. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MA. Mizuho reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $435.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Tuesday, August 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Mastercard from $442.00 to $510.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 22nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Bank of America raised their price target on Mastercard from $438.00 to $442.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Mastercard from $435.00 to $450.00 in a research note on Friday, July 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mastercard presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $440.96.

Mastercard Company Profile

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. It facilitates the processing of payment transactions, including authorization, clearing, and settlement, as well as delivers other payment-related products and services.