We recently published a list of 7 Best Money Making Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) stands against other best money making stocks to buy now.
The US markets have been on a stellar run over the past couple of years, with two-year gains of 53%. This is the best performance for the broad market index since the 66% rally between 1997 and 1998.
The stock market has benefited from waning inflation, declining interest rates, and a resilient economy that has avoided recession. While continued growth is projected for 2025, analysts also warn of the rally having gone too far, with a correction in the offing this year. Moreover, the looming threat of fierce trade wars is already taking a toll on investor sentiment.
The broad market index fell for the fourth successive day on Tuesday, February 25, slipping 0.47% amid heightened concerns about economic growth and global trade. According to CNBC, investors are turning to US bonds, with treasury yield dropping below 4.3% to touch the lowest level since December.
The US president has announced that tariffs on Canada and Mexico will begin next month, ending the month-long suspension. The new administration also recently imposed additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods and continues to warn the European Union of similar import taxes, citing the bloc’s treatment of Washington.
Protectionist policies have sparked market concerns about which countries will be next on the American president’s list, leaving several large multinationals unsure of how to plan. Past trends show that the broad market index dropped by 5% on days when the US, under Trump’s first stint as president, announced tariffs in 2018 and 2019. The index fell by a cumulative 7% when other countries imposed retaliatory tariffs.
The recent consumer confidence survey for February has added to the negative mood, with results coming in weaker than economists’ estimates and registering the largest deterioration since August 2021. This is the third straight monthly decline, pushing the index to 98.3%, its lowest since June 2024.
Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of global indicators at The Conference Board, stated the following about the dip:
Of the five components of the Index, only consumers’ assessment of present business conditions improved, albeit slightly. Views of current labor market conditions weakened. Consumers became pessimistic about future business conditions and less optimistic about future income. Pessimism about future employment prospects worsened and reached a ten-month high.
Methodology
For this article, we sifted through screeners to identify stocks with a market cap of over $2 billion (mid-cap or above), whose ROE was greater than 30%, and ROI of more than 25%, as of the close of business on February 25. From there, we selected the 7 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, based on Insider Monkey’s database of over 1,000 prominent hedge funds as of Q4 2024.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Is Mastercard Incorporated (MA) The Best Money Making Stock To Buy Now?
A woman using a payment terminal at the checkout of a store showing payment products and solutions.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is a payment card services company that provides financial services to individual consumers, merchants, small and large businesses, and governments by facilitating electronic funds transfers. Through its robust network of digital and cross-border payments, the company facilitates transactions in more than 150 currencies across 200 countries and territories.
On January 30, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) announced stellar results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, with profit beating analysts’ estimates on strength in holiday season spending. The company reported adjusted net income of $3.5 billion for the quarter, translating to earnings of $3.82 per share, beating estimates by 13 cents.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s net revenue for Q4 totaled $7.5 billion, growing 14% year-over-year, or 16% on a currency-neutral basis. It also saw a 20% increase in cross-border volume during the quarter, with strong growth in travel and non-travel-related spending. The company is poised for continued growth with international travel returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is also bolstering its value-added services offerings through strategic acquisitions. In December last year, the company enhanced its cybersecurity offerings with the $2.65 billion acquisition of Recorded Future, a global threat intelligence firm. Earlier in October, it acquired Minna Technologies, a Swedish subscription management startup that makes it easier for users to manage their subscription plans.
The stock has gained over 7% year-to-date. It is one of the best money making stocks to buy, with impressive returns on equity and investment. Wall Street analysts are bullish on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) with a consensus Buy rating and an average share price upside potential of 8%.
Investors have been encouraged by recent developments in the company. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q4 2024, 151 hedge funds held a stake in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA), up from 131 at the end of the third quarter.
Overall, MA ranks 7th on our list of best money making stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of MA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
