StoneX Group Inc. Acquires Mastercard Shares

StoneX Group Inc. has made a significant investment by acquiring a new position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) during the fourth quarter, as reported in its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,111 shares of Mastercard’s stock, which is estimated to be valued at around $5,851,000.

Several other large investors have also adjusted their stakes in Mastercard recently. For example, Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in the company by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, owning 493 shares valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position by 0.6%, now owning 3,135 shares worth $1,651,000 after buying 19 more shares. Similarly, Capital Investment Services of America Inc. expanded its stake by 4.2%, while Augustine Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings by 1.1%. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC also boosted its investment by 0.9% during the same quarter.

Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds control 97.28% of Mastercard’s stock, reflecting strong institutional interest in the company.

Wall Street Analysts Project Future Growth

Recent evaluations by research analysts have been optimistic about Mastercard’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods recently raised their price target for Mastercard from $618.00 to $665.00, rating the stock as "outperform." DZ Bank upgraded their view from "hold" to "buy," setting a target price of $620.00. Oppenheimer adjusted their price target slightly down from $591.00 to $588.00 while maintaining an "outperform" rating. Additionally, Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded their stance from "neutral" to "buy" with a price objective of $640.00. UBS Group also raised their target from $600.00 to $660.00, recommending the stock as a "buy." In total, four analysts have given a hold rating to the stock, while twenty-four have assigned a buy rating, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $606.11.

Mastercard Stock Performance

As of Tuesday, Mastercard’s shares opened at $548.66. The company has a fifty-day moving average of $551.05 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $527.59. The stock has seen a price range over the last year, with a low of $428.86 and a high of $582.23. Mastercard’s current market capitalization is approximately $500.22 billion, with a P/E ratio of 39.50 and a beta of 1.10.

In a recent earnings report released on January 30th, Mastercard reported earnings per share (EPS) of $3.82 for the quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $3.71. The company's return on equity stands at an impressive 188.47%, with a net margin of 45.71%. Analysts predict that Mastercard will post an EPS of 15.91 for the current year.

Dividend and Share Buyback Announcement

Mastercard has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, which will be paid on May 9th to shareholders recorded on April 9th. This results in an annualized dividend of $3.04, yielding 0.55%. The declared payout ratio is 21.89%. Additionally, Mastercard's board has approved a plan to buy back $12.00 billion in shares, indicating that management believes the stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions

In insider news, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares at an average price of $550.16 for a total of approximately $8.68 million on March 26th. Following this sale, he retains 84,871 shares valued at about $46.69 million. Another insider, Edward Grunde Mclaughlin, sold 7,132 shares on March 19th at an average price of $534.68, resulting in a transaction valued at approximately $3.81 million. After this sale, he owns 34,524 shares valued at roughly $18.46 million. Insiders own about 0.10% of Mastercard's stock.

About Mastercard

Mastercard Incorporated is a technology-driven company specializing in transaction processing and various payment-related services across the globe. The firm provides an array of integrated products and value-added services aimed at stakeholders such as account holders, merchants, financial institutions, and governments. Services include programs for deferred payment credits and payment products that allow customers to access funds from their accounts.

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