Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. Has $80.84 Million Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 153,517 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 2,042 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for 5.1% of Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $80,837,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MA. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. First Personal Financial Services acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Raelipskie Partnership lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 120.0% in the third quarter. Raelipskie Partnership now owns 110 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the third quarter worth $55,000. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Mastercard Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of Mastercard stock opened at $564.77 on Friday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $428.86 and a 52-week high of $576.94. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $534.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $508.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $518.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.03.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 188.47% and a net margin of 45.71%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.98 EPS for the current year.

Mastercard announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, December 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $12.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes 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 board believes its stock is undervalued.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.76 per share. This represents a $3.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 9th. Mastercard’s payout ratio is 21.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MA has been the topic of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $550.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Tigress Financial upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $550.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $572.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $590.00 to $610.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $606.11.

About Mastercard

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.