Gotham Asset Management LLC Sells 2,907 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Gotham Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 8.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,902 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 2,907 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $15,745,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MA. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at $6,022,224,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter valued at $837,017,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 79,739.7% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,555,277 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $818,962,000 after purchasing an additional 1,553,329 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in Mastercard by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 9,149,181 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,817,684,000 after buying an additional 1,207,787 shares during the period. Finally, Sanders Capital LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $617,303,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Mastercard stock opened at $568.38 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $532.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $533.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $518.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.92, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $428.86 and a 12-month high of $582.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The credit services provider reported $3.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.57 by $0.16. Mastercard had a return on equity of 188.47% and a net margin of 45.71%. The firm had revenue of $7.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.31 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 9th were given a $0.76 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 9th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.53%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Mastercard news, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 7,132 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $534.68, for a total transaction of $3,813,337.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 34,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,459,292.32. This trade represents a 17.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total value of $8,678,774.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 84,871 shares in the company, valued at $46,692,629.36. The trade was a 15.67 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $633.00 target price on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup upped their target price on Mastercard from $650.00 to $652.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Susquehanna raised their price target on Mastercard from $605.00 to $670.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn lowered shares of Mastercard from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $606.25.

About Mastercard

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.