Mastercard Incorporated
- Open
- 593.54
- Day high
- 595.18
- Day low
- 588.38
- Prev close
- 595.30
- Volume
- 3.1M
- Mkt cap
- $516.2B
- P/E (TTM)
- 32.4
- EPS (TTM)
- $18.21
- P/B
- 92.0
- P/S
- 14.7
- Yield
- 0.57%
- Per share
- $3.37
- ▼Insiders net selling -$49.4M over the last 3 months (0 open-market buys, 42 sales)
- 🏛Institutions mixed (13F)
Mastercard Incorporated (MA) is a Financial Services company listed on NYSE. The stock is up 0% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 42 sales (SEC Form 4). Drillr has 1 published research article covering MA.
Mastercard Incorporated (MA) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 14 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
MA earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | $4.77 | $5.04 | +5.6% | $9.3B | +2.0% |
| Apr 30, 2026 | $4.41 | $4.60 | +4.3% | $8.4B | +1.6% |
| Jan 29, 2026 | $4.24 | $4.76 | +12.2% | $8.8B | +0.4% |
| Oct 30, 2025 | $4.32 | $4.38 | +1.3% | $8.6B | +0.8% |
| Jul 31, 2025 | $4.03 | $4.15 | +2.9% | $8.1B | +2.6% |
| May 1, 2025 | $3.59 | $3.73 | +4.0% | $7.3B | +1.7% |
| Jan 30, 2025 | $3.71 | $3.82 | +2.9% | $7.5B | +1.5% |
| Oct 31, 2024 | $3.75 | $3.89 | +3.8% | $7.4B | +1.4% |
| Jul 31, 2024 | $3.51 | $3.59 | +2.3% | $7.0B | +1.4% |
| May 1, 2024 | $3.24 | $3.31 | +2.2% | $6.3B | +0.0% |
| Jan 31, 2024 | $3.08 | $3.18 | +3.3% | $6.5B | +9.4% |
| Oct 26, 2023 | $3.21 | $3.39 | +5.8% | $6.5B | +0.2% |
MA insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 1,168 | $575.77 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 732 | $580.39 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 1,000 | $572.07 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 628 | $577.90 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 120 | $572.41 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 160 | $582.25 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 1,150 | $574.73 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 840 | $581.58 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Option | 7,444 | $344.48 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 400 | $579.35 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 966 | $573.99 |
| Aug 20, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 1,280 | $576.82 |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Kirkpatrick Linda Pistecchiaofficer: Chief Services Officer | Sell | 1,191 | $565.24 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Miebach Michaeldirector, officer: President & CEO | Sell | 15,372 | $575.00 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | SACHIN J. MEHRAofficer: Chief Business Officer | Sell | 240 | $569.18 |
Source: MA SEC Form 4 filings, latest Aug 20, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full MA insider & 13F page →Mastercard Incorporated company profile
Overview
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is a global technology company founded in 1966 that operates one of the world's largest payment processing networks. Originally established as Interbank Card Association, the company went public in 2006 and has since evolved from a traditional credit card company into a comprehensive financial technology platform. Headquartered in Purchase, New York, Mastercard facilitates electronic payments between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, and governments across more than 210 countries and territories worldwide.
Business
Mastercard operates in the electronic payments industry, serving as a critical intermediary in the global financial system. The company's core business revolves around operating a payment network that enables secure, fast, and reliable electronic transactions between various parties. When a consumer uses a Mastercard-branded credit or debit card to make a purchase, Mastercard's network facilitates the authorization, clearing, and settlement of that transaction between the consumer's bank (issuer) and the merchant's bank (acquirer). The company's business is organized into two primary segments. The Payment Network segment, which generates approximately 60% of total revenue, operates the fundamental card processing infrastructure under the Mastercard, Maestro, and Cirrus brands. This network processes billions of transactions annually, handling everything from small retail purchases to large commercial payments. The Value-Added Services and Solutions segment, contributing roughly 40% of revenue, provides additional technology services including cybersecurity solutions, data analytics, fraud prevention, consulting services, and digital identity platforms. Beyond traditional card payments, Mastercard has expanded into emerging payment technologies including tokenization (which replaces sensitive card data with secure tokens), contactless payments, and digital wallets. The company also operates in the commercial payments space, targeting the $80 trillion market of business-to-business transactions, and provides cross-border payment solutions that enable international money transfers and currency conversion services.
Revenue model
Mastercard generates revenue primarily through transaction-based fees rather than interest income, distinguishing it from traditional banks. The company earns money each time a Mastercard-branded card is used for a transaction, collecting fees from financial institutions that issue Mastercard cards and from merchants' banks that process these transactions. These fees are typically calculated as a small percentage of the transaction value plus fixed per-transaction amounts. The Payment Network segment monetizes through several fee streams: assessment fees charged to acquirers based on transaction volume, cross-border fees for international transactions, and switch fees for processing transactions through Mastercard's network. The Value-Added Services segment operates on a subscription and service fee model, selling cybersecurity solutions, data analytics, fraud prevention services, and consulting to banks, merchants, and other organizations. Several factors influence Mastercard's profitability margins. Positive drivers include the ongoing global shift from cash to digital payments, growing e-commerce adoption, increasing cross-border transactions driven by globalization and travel recovery, and the company's ability to price its services based on the value provided. The company benefits from network effects - as more merchants accept Mastercard, it becomes more valuable to cardholders, and vice versa. Negative pressure on margins can come from regulatory changes limiting interchange fees, competitive pricing pressure from rival networks like Visa, economic downturns that reduce consumer spending, and the need for continuous technology investments to maintain security and innovation capabilities.
Competitive moat
Mastercard possesses a strong economic moat built primarily on network effects and switching costs. The company operates in a two-sided market where its value increases exponentially as more participants join the network. Merchants want to accept payment methods that their customers prefer, while consumers want cards that are widely accepted - creating a powerful virtuous cycle that's difficult for competitors to break. The company's moat is reinforced by several factors. High switching costs make it expensive and complex for banks to change payment networks, as they must replace millions of cards, update systems, and retrain staff. Mastercard's global scale provides operational advantages in processing billions of transactions efficiently and investing in cutting-edge security technologies that smaller competitors cannot match. The company's decades of transaction data create valuable insights for fraud prevention and analytics services, while its established relationships with financial institutions worldwide create additional barriers to entry. However, the moat faces potential challenges. Regulatory pressure in various jurisdictions continues to target interchange fees and payment network practices. Digital payment innovations like central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), blockchain-based payments, and direct bank-to-bank transfers could potentially bypass traditional card networks. Large technology companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon are also developing payment solutions that could compete with traditional networks. Additionally, local payment schemes in various countries are gaining traction as governments seek to reduce dependence on U.S.-based payment networks.
Risks & safety
Mastercard demonstrates a strong margin of safety with robust financial metrics and low solvency risk. • Liquidity position: $8.4 billion in cash and short-term investments with strong free cash flow generation of $14.3 billion annually • Debt management: While debt-to-equity ratio appears elevated at 2.8x, this reflects the company's capital structure rather than financial distress, with manageable debt service requirements • Profitability: Exceptional return on equity of 198% and net margins exceeding 45%, indicating highly efficient operations • Valuation metrics: Trading at 38x P/E ratio and 75x price-to-book, reflecting premium valuation but supported by consistent growth and profitability • Cash generation: Consistent positive free cash flow with minimal capital expenditure requirements due to asset-light business model • Current ratio: 1.03x indicates tight but manageable short-term liquidity, typical for financial services companies
Recent development
Over the past few years, Mastercard has executed several strategic initiatives to diversify beyond traditional card processing. The company has made significant investments in artificial intelligence integration, with AI now embedded in approximately one-third of its value-added services products, particularly in fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions. Key acquisitions have expanded capabilities in critical areas: Recorded Future (threat intelligence and cybersecurity) and Minna Technologies (subscription management) demonstrate the company's focus on building comprehensive technology solutions. The company launched Mastercard Agent Pay for AI-powered transactions and is developing tokenization solutions that now handle 4 billion transactions monthly. Mastercard has also pursued geographic expansion, notably entering the Chinese market with single-use card propositions and expanding its presence in emerging markets, particularly Africa. The company is advancing its commercial payments strategy, targeting the $80 trillion B2B payments market through virtual card capabilities and partnerships with trade and logistics companies. In response to evolving payment technologies, Mastercard has embraced cryptocurrency integration through partnerships with platforms like Crypto.com and Metamask, while developing its Multi-Token Network (MTN) for blockchain-based payments. The company has also invested heavily in cross-border payment solutions and open banking capabilities, positioning itself for the next generation of financial services.
MA company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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