Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Shares Sold by Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 3.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 280,340 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 9,896 shares during the quarter. Mastercard accounts for 1.5% of Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $153,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. NewSquare Capital LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Mastercard in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP bought a new position in Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MA shares. Tigress Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Monness Crespi & Hardt lowered Mastercard from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Mastercard in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued an “in-line” rating and a $550.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $633.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Mastercard in a report on Friday, June 6th. Seven 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. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $610.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, insider Sandra A. Arkell sold 150 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $569.45, for a total transaction of $85,417.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,024,394.75. The trade was a 4.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Michael Miebach sold 15,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.16, for a total transaction of $8,678,774.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 84,871 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $46,692,629.36. This represents a 15.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,513 shares of company stock worth $23,166,463. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Price Performance

NYSE MA opened at $538.45 on Thursday. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1 year low of $428.86 and a 1 year high of $594.71. The business’s fifty day moving average is $558.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $544.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $490.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The credit services provider reported $3.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.57 by $0.16. Mastercard had a return on equity of 196.87% and a net margin of 45.21%. The company had revenue of $7.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.31 earnings per share. Mastercard’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.