US Asset Management LLC Sells 71 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

US Asset Management LLC cut its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,243 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 71 shares during the period. US Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $655,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mastercard in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Macquarie lowered their price target on shares of Mastercard from $645.00 to $610.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. 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. Evercore ISI started coverage on Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set an “in-line” rating and a $550.00 target price on the stock. Monness Crespi & Hardt downgraded Mastercard from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $606.25.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of MA stock opened at $569.74 on Friday. Mastercard Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $428.86 and a fifty-two week high of $588.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $539.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $537.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $519.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.02, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The credit services provider reported $3.73 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.57 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $7.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.12 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.31 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

In related news, insider Sandra A. Arkell sold 150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $580.00, for a total value of $87,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,255 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,887,900. This represents a 4.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total transaction of $8,678,774.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 84,871 shares in the company, valued at $46,692,629.36. This trade represents a 15.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 23,207 shares of company stock worth $12,664,529. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.