Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Sold by Channing Global Advisors LLC

Channing Global Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 6,969 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 27 shares during the period. Mastercard accounts for 2.9% of Channing Global Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Channing Global Advisors LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $3,441,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MA. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the 1st quarter worth $91,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the first quarter worth about $170,000. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 56.1% in the 1st quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 1,094 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $527,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,952 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,234,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. Finally, OMC Financial Services LTD purchased a new position in Mastercard during the 1st quarter worth approximately $17,854,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Price Performance

MA stock opened at $532.38 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $509.57 and a 200-day moving average of $475.63. The company has a market cap of $488.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.27, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $404.32 and a 12-month high of $534.03.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $7.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.27 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 178.27% and a net margin of 45.26%. Mastercard’s revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.39 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 9th were given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 9th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.97%.

Insider Activity at Mastercard

In related news, CMO Venkata R. Madabhushi sold 4,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The stock was 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. This represents a 23.76 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MA. Compass Point began coverage on Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $525.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $545.00 to $575.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $591.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Mastercard from $496.00 to $532.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price target on Mastercard from $515.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $549.16.

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.