Mastercard (NYSE:MA) was upgraded by equities researchers at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $200.00 price target on the credit services provider’s stock. Argus’ price target indicates a potential upside of 17.27% from the company’s previous close.
MA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $178.00 price objective (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective (up previously from $166.00) on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Monday, December 11th. Mizuho reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Mastercard from $160.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Mastercard from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twenty-nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $176.54.
Mastercard (NYSE MA) traded down $2.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $170.55. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 6,485,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,000. The company has a market cap of $180,560.00, a PE ratio of 46.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.66. Mastercard has a 12-month low of $104.61 and a 12-month high of $177.11.
Mastercard declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, December 4th that allows the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the credit services provider to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.
In other Mastercard news, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 17,167 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.81, for a total value of $2,606,122.27. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,901 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,271,850.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MA. Massey Quick Simon & CO. LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard in the 3rd quarter valued at $102,000. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 170.1% during the 2nd quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. now owns 867 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter worth $106,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 905 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $118,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 2nd quarter worth $121,000. 75.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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Mastercard Company Profile
MasterCard Incorporated is a technology company that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses across the world, enabling them to use electronic forms of payment. The Company operates through Payment Solutions segment. The Company allows user to make payments by creating a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, which include MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus.
