Mastercard (NYSE:MA) Lowered to "Neutral" Rating by Monness Crespi & Hardt

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Monness Crespi & Hardt from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Tigress Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Monday, March 10th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $595.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Mastercard from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Mastercard from $591.00 to $588.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $607.96.

Mastercard Stock Performance

MA stock traded up $1.45 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $511.20. The company had a trading volume of 1,469,220 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,606,340. Mastercard has a 1-year low of $428.86 and a 1-year high of $582.23. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $542.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $528.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The firm has a market cap of $466.07 billion, a PE ratio of 36.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%. On average, analysts expect that Mastercard will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Mastercard declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, December 17th that permits the company to repurchase $12.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the credit services provider to reacquire up to 2.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mastercard

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.