Brazil's central bank ordered on Wednesday the liquidation of Will Financeira SA, a unit of troubled lender Banco Master, in the latest drastic step involving illiquid institutions tied to the congl... ...

Core Insights - MasterCard is a leading player in the global payments industry, providing a variety of financial transaction services and competing with major companies like Visa and American Express [1] Price Target and Market Outlook - Truist Financial has set a new price target of $609 for MasterCard, indicating a potential price increase of approximately 14.02% from its current price of $534.12, reflecting a more conservative outlook compared to the previous target of $630 [2][6] Institutional Holdings and Investor Sentiment - Dynasty Wealth Management LLC has reduced its holdings in MasterCard by 22.7%, selling 2,757 shares, which leaves the firm with 9,363 shares valued at around $5.3 million, suggesting a strategic reallocation of assets [3] - Other hedge funds, including LGT Financial Advisors LLC, Evolution Wealth Management Inc., and IMG Wealth Management Inc., have acquired new positions in MasterCard, with investments of $25,000, $29,000, and $31,000 respectively, indicating varied investor sentiment [4][6] Stock Performance - MasterCard's stock price is currently around $534.39, reflecting a decrease of about 0.95% or $5.10, with a trading range between a low of $529.53 and a high of $536.09 during the day; over the past year, the stock has reached a high of $601.77 and a low of $465.59, with a market capitalization of approximately $483.1 billion [5]

Mastercard 在收购谈判未果后，正评估对区块链基础设施公司 Zerohash 进行战略投资。知情人士称，双 方此前就整体收购进行过磋商，估值最高曾达约 20 亿美元，但 Zerohash 选择保持独立，相关收购谈判 已结束；目前双方仍在讨论投资事宜。Zerohash 表示不考虑被收购，并将继续与 Mastercard 扩展商业合 作。Mastercard 对此未予置评。（CoinDesk） （来源：吴说） ...

Mastercard (MA) is considering making a strategic investment in blockchain infrastructure firm Zerohash after acquisition talks collapsed when the crypto company opted to remain independent, according to a person familiar with the matter. Fortune reported in October that the payment processor was in late stage talks to buy Zerohash, and could pay as much as $2 billion for the firm, which provides custody, settlement and fiat on-/off-ramps so that fintech companies and brokerages can offer digital assets wi ...

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Nearly a third of small businesses that assess credit card surcharges say that customers cancel purchases when they see the extra fee at checkout, according to J.D. Power survey released last week.  The data and analytics firm queried roughly 4,400 U.S. small businesses and found 35% include surcharges for customers who use credit cards, up slightly from 34% in th ...

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Merchants should support a swipe-fee settlement with Visa and Mastercard because it gives them more flexibility to impose surcharges, according to plaintiffs in a 21-year-old lawsuit targeting Visa and Mastercard fees. A proposed settlement with the two largest card networks over interchange fees and card-acceptance rules presents an opportunity to educate consume ...

Group 1 - Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is considered one of the best stocks to buy in 2026 for beginners, with multiple analysts providing positive rating updates [1] - Citi reiterated a Buy rating on Mastercard and set a price target of $735, indicating strong confidence in the stock's performance [1] - Compass Point upgraded Mastercard from Neutral to Buy, raising the price target from $620 to $735, and expressed a favorable outlook for the payment networks sector [2] - TD Cowen increased the price target for Mastercard from $654 to $668 while maintaining a Buy rating, citing steady fundamentals and resilience in consumer spending [3] Group 2 - Mastercard operates as a technology company providing payment solutions, including debit, credit, prepaid, and commercial payment programs, under brands like Mastercard, Cirrus, and Maestro [3] - The company also offers intelligence and cyber solutions, enhancing its service portfolio [3]

In addition to handling payments, it delivers fraud protection, data analytics, and modern digital solutions that help make buying and selling easier and more accessible for everyone. With a towering market capitalization of about $484.86 billion, payment powerhouse Mastercard delivered a decent performance in 2025, with its shares climbing roughly 8%, edging out rival Visa (V), which gained about 6.8% over the same period.Founded in 1966, New York-based Mastercard is a global payments technology company th ...

Core Viewpoint - The financial sector, particularly credit card issuers, is currently experiencing stock price declines despite potential long-term profitability due to proposed regulatory changes on interest rates [2][8]. Group 1: Impact of Proposed Interest Rate Cap - President Trump proposed a one-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates, effective January 20, which has led to significant declines in stock prices of major credit card issuers [2][3]. - Major credit card issuers such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Capital One Financial, and Citigroup saw stock declines ranging from 4.5% to 9.9% following the announcement [9]. - Payment networks Visa and Mastercard also experienced stock drops of 8% and 6.9%, respectively, indicating a broader impact on the financial sector [4]. Group 2: Historical Context and Legislative Challenges - Previous attempts to cap credit card interest rates have failed, with a similar proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders stalling in Congress last year [5][6]. - The financial industry is expected to strongly oppose the current proposal, suggesting that it is unlikely to be enacted [6][7]. - Analysts predict that the banking industry will effectively counter this proposal before it gains traction [7].

Core Insights - Mastercard's API-first strategy is transforming its role from a traditional card network to a key player in the payments infrastructure, integrating services into fintechs, banks, merchants, and platforms through APIs [1][4] Group 1: API-First Strategy - The API-first approach allows partners to integrate services like tokenization, authentication, and fraud detection without overhauling their core systems, leading to quicker product launches and stronger client relationships [2][8] - This strategy diversifies revenue streams by creating recurring, higher-margin services that are less affected by consumer spending volatility, positioning Mastercard to capture value from complex payment flows as digital commerce evolves [3][4] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Visa and American Express are also adopting API-driven strategies to enhance their roles in digital commerce, with Visa embedding security and data services into client platforms and American Express connecting payments and risk management tools [5][6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Estimates - Over the past year, Mastercard's shares have increased by 3.4%, contrasting with a 12.5% decline in the industry [7] - The forward price-to-earnings ratio for Mastercard is 28.31, above the industry average of 19.95, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate indicating a 12.5% growth in earnings for 2025 [10][11] - Current earnings estimates for Mastercard show a year-over-year growth of 10.21% for the current quarter and 12.53% for the current year [12]