FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co Cuts Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co cut its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,977 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 192 shares during the period. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $2,094,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. raised its stake in Mastercard by 483.3% during the 4th quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 70 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard in the third quarter valued at $54,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MA shares. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $635.00 target price (up previously from $591.00) on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Friday, January 31st. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $620.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $496.00 to $532.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $654.00 to $644.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $606.11.

Mastercard Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of MA opened at $560.86 on Thursday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $428.86 and a 12 month high of $576.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $541.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $516.03. The stock has a market cap of $511.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.10.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 earnings per share (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 analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, December 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $12.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the credit services provider to purchase up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be paid a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.89%.

Mastercard 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.