<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 1.3% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $535.74 and last traded at $535.71. Approximately 955,015 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 62% from the average daily volume of 2,480,653 shares. The stock had previously closed at $528.96.</p><h2>Analyst Ratings Changes</h2><ul><li>3 Big-Name Stocks Just Announced Big-Time Dividend Increases</li></ul><p>A number of research analysts recently commented on MA shares. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of Mastercard from an &#34;outperform&#34; rating to a &#34;neutral&#34; rating and set a $470.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. decreased their target price on Mastercard from $593.00 to $580.00 and set an &#34;overweight&#34; rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Mastercard from $566.00 to $572.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $496.00 to $532.00 and gave the company an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $533.00 to $567.00 and gave the stock a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned  a buy rating and one  has assigned  a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Mastercard presently has an average rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and a consensus target price of $562.76.</p><p><b>View Our Latest Report on Mastercard</b></p><h2>Mastercard Price Performance</h2><ul><li>Top 3 High-ROIC Stocks to Supercharge Your Wealth Compounding</li></ul><p>The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $521.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $485.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The company has a market capitalization of $491.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.10. </p><p>Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $7.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.27 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 178.27% and a net margin of 45.26%. The firm's revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.39 earnings per share.  As a group, research analysts predict that  Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.47 EPS for the current year. </p><h2>Mastercard Increases Dividend</h2><ul><li>3 Large-Cap Stocks Primed for a Year-End Melt-Up Rally</li></ul><p>The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be given a dividend of $0.76 per share. This is a boost from Mastercard's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.00%. </p><p>Mastercard announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, December 17th that allows the company to buyback $12.00 billion in    shares. This buyback authorization allows the credit services provider to reacquire up to 2.5% of its stock  through open market purchases. Stock  buyback plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. </p><h2>Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mastercard</h2><p>A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MA. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of  Mastercard by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Garden State Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 655 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter.  American Trust boosted its holdings in shares of  Mastercard by 13.8% during the third quarter. American Trust now owns 11,157 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,509,000 after acquiring an additional 1,352 shares during the period.  Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of  Mastercard by 4.2% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,501,814 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $3,800,836,000 after acquiring an additional 304,293 shares during the last quarter.  Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in  Mastercard by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 41,645 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $20,563,000 after purchasing an additional 4,843 shares during the period.  Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in  Mastercard by 30.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 75,960 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $37,509,000 after buying an additional 17,648 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own  97.28% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Mastercard Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>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.</p><h2>Read More</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Mastercard</li><li>Short Selling: How to Short a Stock</li><li>Top 3 Reasons to Invest in This Bond ETF for Stability and Growth</li><li>Want to Profit on the Downtrend? Downtrends, Explained.</li><li>2 Drone Stocks Surging from Increased Media Attention </li><li>How to Know if a Stock Pays Dividends and When They Are Paid Out</li><li>Ciena Rebounds: AI and Strong Guidance Drive Post-Earnings Surge</li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. 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<p>Mastercard's stock rose 1.3% to $535.71, with a trading volume decline of 62%. Analysts have mixed ratings, with BNP Paribas downgrading to "neutral" and setting a $470 target, while Citigroup raised its target to $572. The company reported a Q3 EPS of $3.89, beating estimates, and announced a dividend increase to $0.76 per share. A $12 billion stock buyback plan was also authorized, indicating confidence in the stock's value. Mastercard has a market cap of $491.69 billion and a dividend yield of 0.57%.</p>

- Mastercard's stock price increased by 1.3% to $535.71, with trading volume down 62% from average levels.  
- Analysts have mixed views, with BNP Paribas downgrading the stock to "neutral" and setting a target price of $470, while Citigroup raised its target to $572 with a "buy" rating.  
- The company recently declared a quarterly dividend increase to $0.76 per share and authorized a $12 billion stock repurchase plan, indicating confidence in its valuation.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) Trading 1.3% Higher - Here's What Happened