<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Vulcan Value Partners LLC raised its stake in  Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission. The fund owned 655,145 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 11,466 shares during the quarter. Mastercard comprises approximately  5.8% of Vulcan Value Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Vulcan Value Partners LLC owned approximately 0.07% of Mastercard worth $344,912,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.</p><ul><li>American Express: Affluent Customers Don’t Leave Home Without It </li></ul><p>Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in  Mastercard in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,565,000.  Virtus ETF Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in  Mastercard by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Virtus ETF Advisers LLC now owns 2,268 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,194,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the period.  Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of  Mastercard by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 27,893 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $14,688,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares during the period.  UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of  Mastercard by 12.6% during the fourth quarter. UP Strategic Wealth Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,209 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,163,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares in the last quarter.  Finally, Three Seasons Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of  Mastercard in the fourth quarter valued at $2,353,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. </p><h2>Mastercard Stock Down 0.4 %</h2><p>MA opened at $533.26 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $428.86 and a 12 month high of $582.23. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $534.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $529.89. The stock has a market cap of $486.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.06. </p><ul><li>3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Trading at a Discount</li></ul><p>Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The credit services provider reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.71 by $0.11. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.71% and a return on equity of 188.47%.  As a group, research analysts predict that  Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current year. </p><h2>Mastercard Announces Dividend</h2><p>The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.76 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 9th. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio  is presently 21.89%. </p><h2>Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth</h2><ul><li>MarketBeat Week in Review – 02/03 - 02/07</li></ul><p>MA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $600.00 to $660.00 and gave the stock a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. William Blair  restated an &#34;outperform&#34; rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Tigress Financial  reaffirmed a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Mastercard from a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating to a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Raymond James  reaffirmed an &#34;outperform&#34; rating and issued a $640.00 price target (up from $614.00) on shares of Mastercard in a report on Friday, January 31st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have assigned  a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock  has a consensus rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and a consensus target price of $607.96.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Analysis on Mastercard</b></p><h2>Insiders Place Their Bets</h2><p>In other news, insider Edward Grunde Mclaughlin sold 7,132 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $18,459,292.32. This trade represents a 17.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total value of $8,678,774.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 84,871 shares in the company, valued at $46,692,629.36. This trade represents a 15.67 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. </p><h2>About Mastercard</h2> (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>Recommended Stories</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Mastercard</li><li>How to Choose Top Rated Stocks</li><li>Short Sellers Gave Up on These 3 Names Recently</li><li>Value Investing: Is it a Good Strategy in 2022? <span>Hint: Always<span></span></span></li><li>3 Boring Stocks Outperforming the Market This Year</li><li>What is a Death Cross in Stocks?</li><li>If You Wanted To Buy AbbVie and Didn’t, There’s Still Time To Buy</li></ul><p><strong>Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MA?</strong> Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report).</p><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPU1B?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPU1B"/></p><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. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Mastercard Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Mastercard, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Mastercard wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Mastercard currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

<p>Vulcan Value Partners LLC increased its stake in Mastercard (NYSE:MA) by 1.8% in Q4, owning 655,145 shares after acquiring 11,466 additional shares. Mastercard represents 5.8% of Vulcan's holdings, valued at approximately $344.9 million. Other institutional investors also adjusted their positions in Mastercard. The stock opened at $533.26, with a market cap of $486.18 billion and a P/E ratio of 38.39. Mastercard recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, payable on May 9th, and has received various ratings from analysts, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."</p>

- Vulcan Value Partners LLC increased its stake in Mastercard Incorporated by 1.8% in Q4, owning 655,145 shares valued at approximately $344.9 million.  
- Several institutional investors also adjusted their positions, with notable purchases and increases in holdings during the same period.  
- Mastercard reported earnings of $3.82 per share, exceeding estimates, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.76 per share, reflecting a dividend yield of 0.57%.

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Purchased by Vulcan Value Partners LLC