Impax Asset Management Group plc Decreases Stock Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Impax Asset Management Group plc lessened its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 3.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,024,966 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 35,061 shares during the period. Mastercard comprises approximately 2.0% of Impax Asset Management Group plc’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Impax Asset Management Group plc’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $504,810,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Mastercard in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Mastercard in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Mastercard by 74.0% during the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 55.0% during the first quarter. VitalStone Financial LLC now owns 93 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE MA traded down $3.72 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $504.36. 647,834 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,441,444. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $495.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $466.94. The stock has a market cap of $465.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.24, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.10. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1-year low of $384.20 and a 1-year high of $527.90.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.16. Mastercard had a return on equity of 178.27% and a net margin of 45.26%. The firm had revenue of $7.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.39 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $520.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. William Blair raised Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $540.00 to $605.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $510.00 to $580.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $545.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mastercard has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $537.92.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 109,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $467.45, for a total value of $50,952,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 91,924,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,970,017,774.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CMO Venkata R. Madabhushi sold 4,685 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $489.86, for a total value of $2,294,994.10. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 15,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,363,085.66. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 109,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $467.45, for a total value of $50,952,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 91,924,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,970,017,774.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 327,370 shares of company stock valued at $153,495,958 in the last three months. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.