Is Mastercard Incorporated Stock Underperforming the S&P 500?

Mastercard Incorporated (MA) is a global payments technology company with a market cap of $521.5 billion, operating in over 220 countries and territories. The company enables secure and accessible digital payments through its technology, network, and diverse range of products and services. With a stock price down 1.1% from its 52-week high of $601.62, MA has seen a 20.6% gain over the past three months, outpacing the S&P 500 Index's (SPX) 2% rise over the same period.

MA stock has underperformed the SPX with a 4.3% return on a year-to-date basis, compared to the SPX's 12.7% increase. However, MA has been trading above its 50-day moving average since July. In Q2 2026, MA reported strong results, with adjusted EPS of $5.04 and revenue of $9.3 billion, surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company's transaction activity rose 8% to $2.9 trillion, cross-border volumes increased 12%, and value-added services and solutions revenue grew 20%.

Despite MA's underperformance compared to Visa Inc. (V), which saw a 9.1% rise over the past year, analysts remain optimistic. The consensus rating for MA is "Strong Buy," with a mean price target of $664.56, representing an 11.6% premium to current levels.