Q1 Earnings Forecast for Mastercard Issued By Zacks Research

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2028 earnings per share estimates for Mastercard in a note issued to investors on Thursday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the credit services provider will earn $6.01 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $6.02. The consensus estimate for Mastercard’s current full-year earnings is $19.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Mastercard’s Q2 2028 earnings at $6.27 EPS.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $5.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.77 by $0.27. Mastercard had a net margin of 46.34% and a return on equity of 239.99%. The company had revenue of $9.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.15 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on MA. Susquehanna cut their price target on Mastercard from $670.00 to $665.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Mastercard in a report on Monday, June 29th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $597.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $650.00 to $695.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Mastercard from $554.00 to $633.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Mastercard currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $661.93.

Mastercard Price Performance

MA stock opened at $574.74 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $533.51 and a 200-day moving average of $517.16. The company has a market cap of $503.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.61, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.71. Mastercard has a 12-month low of $464.52 and a 12-month high of $601.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.96.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 9th. Mastercard’s payout ratio is 19.14%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Sandra A. Arkell sold 200 shares of Mastercard stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $540.00, for a total value of $108,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,322 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,793,880. The trade was a 5.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick sold 4,280 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $570.31, for a total transaction of $2,440,926.80. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 31,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,781,695.49. This trade represents a 12.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 62,913 shares of company stock valued at $35,769,036 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mastercard

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MA. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 820.0% during the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 46 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mastercard during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hyposwiss Advisors SA acquired a new position in Mastercard during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Robinswood Financial LLC acquired a new position in Mastercard during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 54.1% in the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 57 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.28% of the company’s stock.

Mastercard News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard reported approximately 15% revenue growth, supported by expanding payment volume and cross-border transactions. The results reinforce the company’s ability to grow its core payments business and help explain the stock’s recent strength. Mastercard Stock Rises 2% as Investors Favor Payment Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard and Visa are joining Rain to develop standards for “agentic” payments, in which artificial-intelligence systems could make transactions on behalf of users. The initiative positions Mastercard in a potential long-term growth area as commerce becomes increasingly automated. Rain, Visa, Mastercard form agentic AI standards group
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard’s acquisition of stablecoin company BVNK is drawing attention after Visa reportedly began searching for another stablecoin settlement partner. The development may signal growing strategic importance for Mastercard’s blockchain and digital-asset capabilities. Visa Seeks New Stablecoin Partner Following Mastercard-BVNK Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Mastercard is expanding digital-payment services in Africa through its relationship with Teamapt, while management is also highlighting cybersecurity and machine-to-machine payments as major future opportunities. These initiatives broaden Mastercard’s addressable market beyond traditional card transactions. Mastercard, Teamapt Set to Expand Digital Payments Across Africa Mastercard CEO: Cybersecurity Is Our Fastest-Growing Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Mastercard named Yasemin Bedir to lead its EEMEA region, and a separate report highlighted plans related to its 2027 global chargeback program. These developments may affect regional execution and operating processes but do not provide a clear near-term earnings catalyst. Who Is Yasemin Bedir, Mastercard’s New Head of the EEMEA Region?
• Negative Sentiment: The recent Pershing Square endorsement has lost momentum, while Mastercard trades near 31 times trailing earnings. Investors may therefore be more sensitive to any slowdown or disappointment despite the company’s strong growth profile. Mastercard Stock Slips as Ackman Rally Loses Momentum

About Mastercard

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.