Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Has $129.45 Million Stake in Mastercard Incorporated $MA

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 227,574 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Mastercard makes up approximately 4.3% of Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Mastercard were worth $129,446,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MA. LGT Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mastercard in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Mastercard during the second quarter worth $29,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Mastercard in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Robbins Farley increased its holdings in Mastercard by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 54 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 45.2% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 61 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard Stock Performance

NYSE:MA opened at $539.82 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $484.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.40. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1 year low of $465.59 and a 1 year high of $601.77. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $557.14 and a 200-day moving average of $566.55.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The credit services provider reported $4.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.31 by $0.07. Mastercard had a return on equity of 202.03% and a net margin of 45.28%.The firm had revenue of $8.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.53 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.89 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Mastercard’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. Mastercard’s dividend payout ratio is 22.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup upgraded shares of Mastercard to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $665.00 price target on shares of Mastercard and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Mastercard from $669.00 to $660.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Tigress Financial boosted their price target on Mastercard from $685.00 to $730.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $662.08.

Trending Headlines about Mastercard

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s “API-first” push is turning Mastercard into a broader payments infrastructure provider — embedding tokenization, fraud tools and open-banking connections that can create stickier, higher-margin revenue streams. Why Mastercard’s API-First Strategy Is Becoming a Growth Multiplier
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and earnings models expect Mastercard to continue its streak of beats — the firm’s recent quarter showed strong revenue and EPS growth, and consensus forecasts imply continued upside to estimates. Will MasterCard (MA) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish equity research (Seeking Alpha) reiterates Mastercard’s wide moat and resilient business model, arguing regulatory scenarios would likely have limited EPS downside — supporting the view that pullbacks may be buying opportunities. Mastercard: A Fire To Run Towards
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst ratings remain constructive (average “Buy”), which can support demand if macro/regulatory noise stabilizes. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) Receives Average Rating of “Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention and technical interest have increased after a recent pullback, which could amplify moves in either direction depending on next catalysts (earnings, regulatory updates). Is Trending Stock Mastercard Incorporated (MA) a Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal setback in the U.K.: the High Court ruled the payments regulator can set a cap on cross-border interchange fees, increasing the risk of fee restrictions in key markets and prompting immediate investor concern. Mastercard, Visa and Revolut lose UK case over proposed cross-border card fees cap
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. policy risk is rising: senators reintroduced the Credit Card Competition Act and political rhetoric (including presidential support for fee/rate caps) has intensified, creating headline risk that could pressure margins if legislation advances. Senators reintroduce Credit Card Competition Act after Trump endorses bill to lower swipe fees

Mastercard Profile

Mastercard Incorporated is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories. The company facilitates electronic payments and transaction processing for credit, debit and prepaid card products carrying the Mastercard brand, while also providing a range of payment-related services to issuers, acquirers and merchants. Its technology and network enable authorization, clearing and settlement of payments and support a broad set of use cases including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile payments.

Beyond core transaction processing, Mastercard offers a suite of value-added services such as fraud and risk management, identity and authentication tools, tokenization and digital wallet support, cross-border and commercial payment solutions, and data analytics and consulting services for merchants and financial partners.