Michael Miebach Sells 15,775 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Stock

In a recent transaction, Michael Miebach, the CEO of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report), sold 15,775 shares of the company's stock on Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $550.16 each, totaling approximately $8,678,774.00. After completing this sale, Miebach now holds 84,871 shares of Mastercard, with an estimated value of about $46,692,629.36. This sale reflects a 15.67% reduction in his ownership of Mastercard's stock. Details of this transaction have been made public through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which can be accessed via the appropriate channels.

Mastercard Price Performance

On the following trading day, Mastercard stock increased by $8.57, reaching a price of $557.64. A total of 2,880,866 shares were traded, which is higher than the company’s average trading volume of 2,729,166 shares. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $549.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $526.06. Mastercard currently has a market capitalization of $508.40 billion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 40.15 and a price-to-earnings growth (P/E/G) ratio of 2.37. Its one-year stock range shows a low of $428.86 and a high of $582.23. Financial metrics also indicate a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

Recently, Mastercard announced a quarterly dividend to be distributed on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders recorded on Wednesday, April 9th, will receive a payout of $0.76 per share, which represents an annualized dividend of $3.04 and a yield of 0.55%. Currently, the company has a dividend payout ratio of 21.89%. Additionally, Mastercard's Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program allowing the purchase of up to $12.00 billion of outstanding shares, reflecting management's belief that the company's shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Equity analysts have recently been reassessing Mastercard's stock. Citigroup, for example, raised its target price from $584.00 to $650.00 and maintained a "buy" rating on January 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods also increased their price objective from $618.00 to $665.00, granting an "outperform" rating. In contrast, Seaport Res Ptn downgraded the stock from "strong-buy" to "hold" on January 14th. Analysts from Susquehanna adjusted their target up to $670.00, while Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded their rating from "neutral" to "buy," setting their target price at $640.00. Overall, four analysts have given a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating, and two have suggested a strong buy for Mastercard, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $606.11 according to MarketBeat.com.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Recent movements among institutional investors indicate activity in Mastercard stock. Temasek Holdings Private Ltd lifted its position in Mastercard by 2.3% during the third quarter, now holding 2,805,554 shares valued at about $1.39 billion. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake by 2.7% in the fourth quarter, now owning 368,690 shares worth $194.14 million. Dock Street Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings by 4.5% and now controls 68,237 shares valued at approximately $35.93 million. Additionally, Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake by 15.6% during the fourth quarter, owning 2,510,756 shares valued around $1.33 billion. In total, institutional investors and hedge funds own about 97.28% of Mastercard stock.

Mastercard Company Profile

Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company that provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services globally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for various stakeholders, including account holders, merchants, financial institutions, and businesses. Their portfolio includes programs that enable issuers to give consumers credits to defer payments, payment products that permit access to funds in accounts, and various credit, debit, and prepaid payment solutions.

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