Choate Investment Advisors Increases Stake in Mastercard

Choate Investment Advisors has increased its investment in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 15.8% during the fourth quarter, as stated in its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following this boost, Choate now holds a total of 47,040 shares of the renowned credit services provider, having purchased an additional 6,412 shares during this time frame. Mastercard now represents 0.6% of Choate Investment Advisors' overall investment portfolio, ranking as its 26th largest investment. As per the recent filing, the worth of Choate’s holdings in Mastercard stands at approximately $24,770,000.

Other Institutional Investors

In addition to Choate, several other institutional investors and hedge funds have actively traded shares of Mastercard. For instance, Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Mastercard by 3.8% in the fourth quarter and owns 493 shares valued at $260,000 after acquiring 18 additional shares. Similarly, Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC enhanced its position in Mastercard by 0.6% during the same period, now holding 3,135 shares worth $1,651,000 after purchasing 19 shares last quarter. Other firms, such as Capital Investment Services of America Inc., Augustine Asset Management Inc., and Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC, have also added to their positions, indicating strong interest in this stock among institutional players. Collectively, institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of Mastercard's stock.

Analyst Insights and Price Targets

Many analysts have recently provided insights on Mastercard shares. For example, Wells Fargo & Company raised its target price for Mastercard from $585.00 to $625.00, assigning an "overweight" rating in a recent research report. Barclays followed suit by increasing its price target to $650.00 from $595.00, also offering an "overweight" rating. Piper Sandler reaffirmed its "overweight" rating with a new price objective of $635.00, up from $591.00. DZ Bank upgraded its view by changing its recommendation from "hold" to "buy" with a price target of $620.00. Notably, Tigress Financial maintained a "strong-buy" rating on the shares. According to MarketBeat data, the general consensus on the stock is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $606.11.

Mastercard Stock Performance

On trading days, Mastercard's stock opened at $527.87 recently. Currently, its 50-day moving average sits at $545.38 while the 200-day moving average is at $522.44. The company's market capitalization stands at $481.27 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.00 and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37. Over the past year, Mastercard shares have fluctuated, hitting a low of $428.86 and a high of $582.23.

Recent Earnings and Dividend News

Mastercard recently reported its quarterly earnings on January 30th, where it posted an earnings per share (EPS) of $3.82, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.71. The company achieved an impressive return on equity of 188.47% and a net margin of 45.71%. Analysts forecast that Mastercard will post earnings of approximately 15.91 per share for the ongoing year. Furthermore, Mastercard announced a quarterly dividend to be paid on May 9th, with stockholders of record receiving a $0.76 dividend. This translates to an annualized dividend of $3.04, resulting in a yield of 0.58%. Currently, Mastercard's dividend payout ratio is at 21.89%.

Share Repurchase Plan

On December 17th, Mastercard's Board of Directors approved a share repurchase plan that allows it to repurchase up to $12.00 billion in shares, indicating the board’s confidence in the company’s value.

About Mastercard

Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company that specializes in transaction processing and payment-related services globally. It offers integrated products and services catering to account holders, merchants, financial institutions, and various organizations, providing solutions such as credit and debit payment products.

investment, Mastercard, finance