Choate Investment Advisors Increases Stake in Mastercard Inc.

Choate Investment Advisors has increased its investment in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 15.8% during the 4th quarter, as reported in the latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After acquiring an additional 6,412 shares during the period, the firm now holds a total of 47,040 shares in the credit services provider.

Mastercard represents 0.6% of Choate Investment Advisors' overall investment portfolio, making it the firm's 26th largest holding. The value of Choate’s holdings in Mastercard was approximately $24,770,000 as stated in the recent SEC filing.

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Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in Mastercard recently. For instance, Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, now owning 493 shares valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares. Similarly, Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position by 0.6%, now holding 3,135 shares worth $1,651,000 after acquiring 19 shares.

In addition, Capital Investment Services of America Inc. raised its position by 4.2%, now owning 475 shares valued at $250,000 following an additional purchase of 19 shares. Augustine Asset Management Inc. also increased its holdings by 1.1%, now having 1,797 shares worth $946,000 with an additional 19 shares bought during the last quarter. Lastly, Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC increased its holdings by 0.9%, now owning 2,245 shares valued at $1,182,000 after acquiring another 19 shares.

Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 97.28% of Mastercard's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently provided their predictions for Mastercard shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised its target price from $585.00 to $625.00, giving the stock an 'overweight' rating. Barclays also increased its price target from $595.00 to $650.00, maintaining an 'overweight' rating as well. Similarly, Piper Sandler reaffirmed its 'overweight' rating, now setting a price objective of $635.00, which was previously $591.00.

DZ Bank upgraded its rating from 'hold' to 'buy', setting a price target of $620.00 for the company. Tigress Financial reiterated a 'strong-buy' rating on Mastercard, indicating robust confidence in the stock's performance.

According to MarketBeat data, four investment analysts rate the stock as a hold, while twenty-four indicate a buy rating, with two recommending a strong buy. The consensus rating for Mastercard stands at 'Moderate Buy' with an average target price of $606.11.

Mastercard Stock Performance

Mastercard shares opened at $527.87 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $545.38 while its 200-day moving average is at $522.44. With a market capitalization of $481.27 billion, Mastercard has a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.00 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37. The stock has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, and both its current and quick ratios are 1.03. Over the past year, Mastercard shares have ranged from a low of $428.86 to a high of $582.23.

Mastercard last reported its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The company announced earnings per share (EPS) of $3.82 for the quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard recorded a return on equity of 188.47% and a net profit margin of 45.71%. Analysts expect Mastercard to post earnings of 15.91 per share in the current year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

Recently, Mastercard announced a quarterly dividend that is set to be paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on April 9th will receive a dividend of $0.76. The ex-dividend date is also April 9th. This dividend translates into an annualized amount of $3.04 with a dividend yield of 0.58%. Mastercard’s current dividend payout ratio is 21.89%.

Additionally, Mastercard's Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan allowing the company to repurchase up to $12.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization enables Mastercard to buy back approximately 2.5% of its shares, reflecting the Board's belief that the stock is undervalued.

About Mastercard

Mastercard Incorporated is a technology firm that specializes in transaction processing and other payment-related services globally. The company provides an array of integrated products and value-added services for various clients, including account holders, merchants, and financial institutions. Their offerings include payment products that allow customers access to fund accounts, as well as prepaid and commercial credit solutions.

Mastercard, Investors, Stake