Paladin Advisory Group LLC Has $1.21 Million Holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Paladin Advisory Group LLC decreased its position in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,838 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 150 shares during the period. Paladin Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $1,210,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new position in Mastercard in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Barometer Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Mastercard in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 661.5% during the 3rd quarter. Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. now owns 99 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. 97.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mastercard Price Performance

MA stock traded up $0.69 during trading on Friday, hitting $455.39. The company had a trading volume of 2,545,303 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,408,385. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $471.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $433.36. Mastercard Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $357.85 and a fifty-two week high of $490.00. The company has a market cap of $424.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.08.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.60% and a return on equity of 191.22%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.65 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 8th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MA shares. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Mastercard from $530.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Mastercard from $525.00 to $545.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday, April 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $545.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Mastercard from $490.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Finally, Raymond James upped their price target on Mastercard from $452.00 to $504.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Mastercard has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $490.23.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Ajay Bhalla sold 98 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $439.52, for a total transaction of $43,072.96. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 6,235 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,740,407.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 13,542 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $460.06, for a total value of $6,230,132.52. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 46,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,388,649.46. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Ajay Bhalla sold 98 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $439.52, for a total value of $43,072.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,740,407.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 148,728 shares of company stock worth $68,483,403 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.