Core Insights - Mastercard (MA) has returned a total of $64 billion to shareholders over the past ten years through dividends and buybacks [1] - MA stock ranks as the 41st highest in terms of capital returned to shareholders in history [4] - The capital return capability of MA is compared to other major companies, highlighting a trade-off between capital returns and growth potential [6] Financial Performance - Revenue growth for MA has been 14.6% over the last twelve months and 13.2% for the past three-year average [10] - The company has a free cash flow margin of approximately 52.5% and an operating margin of 58.3% for the last twelve months [10] - The lowest annual revenue growth for MA over the last three years was 11.9% [10] Valuation Metrics - Mastercard stock is currently priced at a P/E multiple of 36.3 [10] Market Context - The overall capital returned to shareholders as a percentage of current market cap appears inversely proportional to growth potential for reinvestments [6] - Companies like Meta and Microsoft exhibit faster growth but return a lower proportion of their market cap to shareholders, indicating a strategic choice between growth and capital returns [6]