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MasterCard (MA) Stock Moves -0.74%: What You Should Know

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MasterCard (MA - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $418.77, demonstrating a -0.74% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.8% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.76%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.18%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the processor of debit and credit card payments had gained 3.23% over the past month. This has outpaced the Business Services sector's gain of 2.64% and lagged the S&P 500's gain of 3.4% in that time.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of MasterCard in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $3.07, showcasing a 15.85% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $6.45 billion, indicating a 10.89% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for MasterCard. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.08% higher. MasterCard is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, MasterCard is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 29.77. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 12.83, so one might conclude that MasterCard is trading at a premium comparatively.

It's also important to note that MA currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.64. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. Financial Transaction Services stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.16 based on yesterday's closing prices.

The Financial Transaction Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 83, putting it in the top 33% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.


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