Should I buy Mastercard stock in 2025?

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At HelloSafe, our expert has been monitoring the performance of Mastercard for more than three years. Each month, hundreds of thousands of users across Canada rely on us to decode market trends and highlight the most attractive investment opportunities. Our analyses are provided strictly for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. In line with our ethical charter, we have never received, nor will we ever receive, compensation from Mastercard.

What is Mastercard?

How much is Mastercard stock?

The price of Mastercard stock is decreasing this week. As of now, Mastercard (MA) trades at $546.63 USD, reflecting a 24-hour drop of 0.26% (-$1.43) and a weekly decline of 2.09%. The company’s market capitalization stands at $497.05 billion, with an average 3-month daily trading volume of 2.92 million shares.

Recent shifts highlight moderate volatility, which may offer both risks and opportunities for Canadian investors interested in the global payments sector.

Our full analysis on Mastercard stock

We have thoroughly examined Mastercard Incorporated’s latest financial statements, reviewed the company’s stock trajectory over the last three years, and synthesized our proprietary algorithms with third-party technical, fundamental, and macroeconomic analyses. By integrating high-frequency market data, sector benchmarks, and competitive dynamics, our view is informed by a comprehensive and objective perspective. So, why might Mastercard stock once again become a strategic entry point into the technology-driven global financial sector in 2025?

Recent Performance and Market Context

Over the past year, Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has delivered an impressive total return of +23.65%, significantly outpacing comparable indices and most industry peers. Notably, the stock is up nearly 8% in the last six months and maintains a robust +3.81% gain year-to-date, indicating resilience—even amid periods of broader market volatility in early 2025.

Recent highlights reinforce this positive momentum:

• The release of Q1 2025 earnings showcased double-digit top- and bottom-line growth, handily beating Wall Street expectations.
• Mastercard unveiled several high-profile partnerships (e.g., with Microsoft and OpenAI, as well as Corpay) targeting emerging opportunities in digital payments and cross-border commerce.
• The payments sector continues to benefit from persistent secular tailwinds, including digital transformation of financial services, acceleration of e-commerce, and the proliferation of contactless and mobile transactions worldwide.

Within the broader macro environment, consumer spending has continued to hold up robustly, even as interest rates remain elevated. Mastercard’s distinct advantage lies in the global breadth of its network—spanning over 200 countries and territories, with processing in 150+ currencies—which insulates its revenue streams from localized economic slowdowns and diversifies both consumer and corporate transaction flows.

Importantly for Canadian investors, Mastercard’s strong US dollar cash flows and international expansion could provide attractive portfolio diversification, mitigating domestic economic or currency risks.

Technical Analysis

Mastercard's current price action supports a constructive technical base for buyers. As of early May 2025, the stock is trading at $546.63, with bullish confirmation by both trend-following and momentum-based indicators:

• The RSI (Relative Strength Index) stands at 60.06—neutral but rising, suggesting solid momentum without being overbought.
• All key moving averages (20, 50, 100, and 200 days) are positioned below the current price and upward sloping, each signaling buy conditions.
• MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence) remains firmly positive at 2.01—a traditional predictor that buyers are controlling directional flow.
• Technical supports are well-defined: $535.23, $530.79, and $528.16 serve as robust near-term floors, with significant resistance only appearing above at $542.30–$549.37.

The overall technical sentiment aggregates to a Buy, with 15 out of 22 actively monitored signals flashing bullish, including a “Strong Buy” from major moving average models. Despite a couple of short-term contrarian readings (CCI and Williams %R), the dominant momentum structure favors a sustained uptrend. This blend of institutional participation and technical confirmation may indicate that the stock is setting up for a renewed upward leg—a scenario well-respected among disciplined market participants.

Fundamental Analysis

The foundation of the current enthusiasm for Mastercard is deeply rooted in its fundamentals. The company reported Q1 2025 revenues up 14% year-over-year (17% on a currency-neutral basis), driven by broad-based growth across all principal business lines:

• Gross dollar volume advanced 9% to $2.4 trillion
• Cross-border payments—a key profit engine—increased a remarkable 15%
• Value-added services, an increasingly influential driver of margins and future scalability, surged 18% currency-neutral
• Adjusted EPS of $3.73 comfortably surpassed consensus projections, while net income exceeded the $3.3 billion mark

Operational discipline was evident with operating margins improving to 59.3%, underscoring cost control and the scalability of Mastercard’s global network. Meanwhile, annualized return of capital remained best-in-class: nearly $3.2 billion distributed to shareholders last quarter (via both cash dividends and buybacks), with $11.8 billion left on the repurchase authorization—increasing long-term shareholder value per share.

From a valuation perspective, the stock trades at a forward P/E of 39.36 and a PEG ratio (Price/Earnings-to-Growth) that is justified by its above-market profit, cash flow, and revenue growth rates. While higher than sector averages, such a premium reflects Mastercard’s superior operational execution, innovation pipeline, and durable competitive moats. Mastercard’s dividend, while modest at 0.56%, is supported by a conservative payout ratio (19.73%), allowing for reinvestment in high-ROI projects and consistent share repurchases.

Structurally, Mastercard commands three key levers:

• Unmatched global scale and critical mass in payment processing
• A powerful brand, regularly recognized among the world’s most trusted and valuable
• Ongoing investments in digital platforms, cybersecurity, and AI, which underpin sustained leadership in innovation and long-term growth

Volume and Liquidity

Mastercard continues to benefit from deep market liquidity, with an average volume of 2.92 million shares traded daily. This sustains a narrow bid-ask spread and enables efficient entries and exits even for large institutional players.

The public float of 816.52 million shares and dominant institutional ownership of nearly 80% suggest both stability and an alignment of interest with long-term investors. Such liquidity, combined with Mastercard’s inclusion in major global indices (including the S&P 500 and MSCI World), facilitates dynamic valuation adjustments and typically enhances upside potential during bullish phases.

Catalysts and Positive Outlook

Several imminent and longer-term catalysts argue for a positive trajectory:

• Product Innovation: The rollout of Mastercard Agent Pay, in partnership with Microsoft and OpenAI, is expected to accelerate AI-powered payments and digital identification services—driving new high-margin revenue streams.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with global fintechs and corporates (such as Corpay for cross-border B2B payments) continually expand Mastercard’s ecosystem and customer base.
• Value-Added Expansion: Rapid double-digit growth in value-added services underlines successful diversification away from purely volume-based transaction revenues, improving profitability and resilience.
• ESG Commitment: Mastercard's sustainability and ESG programs support investor confidence and position it favorably for the swelling capital flows into responsible investment strategies globally.
• Sector Tailwinds: The digital payments sector remains an outstanding structural growth theme, benefiting from the global shift to cashless economies, proliferation of e-commerce, and widespread adoption of embedded financial technologies.
• Regulatory and Policy Clarity: Resolution of near-term regulatory uncertainties in key markets would remove a perceived overhang and unlock additional upside for shares.
• Global Economic Rebound: Cross-border payments growth points to resurgent travel, tourism, and international commerce—sectors that can produce outsized operating leverage for Mastercard relative to competitors.

With Q2 and FY2025 company guidance calling for mid- and low-teens revenue growth respectively (both upgraded from prior quarters), the positive outlook is reinforced by management’s visible confidence and the continued acceleration of secular growth drivers.

Investment Strategies

Whether for tactical traders or strategic investors, Mastercard currently offers compelling arguments across multiple time horizons:

• Short-Term:
• The stock sits atop strong technical support and is buoyed by recent earnings momentum, making immediate entry attractive for traders looking to capture potential near-term breakouts ahead of new product launches or market-moving news.
• Bullish technical patterns—including buy signals from all major moving averages—support momentum-driven positioning.
• Medium-Term:
• Mastercard’s proven pattern of consistent earnings beats, combined with a strong capital return policy, should sustain relative outperformance versus broader financials and technology indices.
• Investors could look to gradually accumulate on minor technical pullbacks toward established support levels ($535–530) with a view to capturing continued uptrend.
• Long-Term:
• The company’s wide competitive moat, enviable global scale, and diverse, innovation-driven revenue streams suggest Mastercard will remain a structural winner from ongoing digitization of commerce and payment flows.
• Dividend reinvestment and exposure to USD-denominated growth reinforce potential to compound returns across cycles, serving as a quality cornerstone in a diversified Canadian portfolio.
• For those seeking stability in the midst of evolving economic landscapes, Mastercard’s international footprint and consistent capital deployment represent a distinct asset.

Prudent investors often look for entry points either at technical retracements or in anticipation of clearly defined catalysts; Mastercard’s setup aligns well with both strategies as 2025 unfolds.

Is it the Right Time to Buy Mastercard?

In brief, Mastercard brings together the rare combination of robust financial results, powerful secular growth drivers, industry-leading innovation, and a flexible capital deployment model. The technical structure actively supports a bullish stance, while the fundamental narrative—marked by double-digit revenue and profit growth, broad-based ecosystem expansion, and operational excellence—justifies renewed investor interest.

Despite a premium valuation, structural advantages across global networks, technology leadership, and diversification into value-added services distinguish Mastercard as a high-quality portfolio candidate. Early 2025 presents a confluence of strong business performance, favorable technical signals, and identifiable catalysts that may propel the stock into a new phase of bullish momentum. For investors seeking quality exposure to the enduring digitization of payments and commerce, Mastercard seems to represent an excellent opportunity worthy of serious consideration.

Mastercard stands at the intersection of technological innovation and global commerce, offering a compelling case for portfolio allocation as digital transformation accelerates and payment ecosystems expand worldwide.

How to buy Mastercard stock in Canada?

Buying Mastercard Stock Online: Simple, Secure, and Flexible

Purchasing Mastercard (MA) stock online is a straightforward and secure process for Canadian investors, thanks to regulated online brokers that ensure investor protection and compliance with local regulations. You can buy Mastercard stock outright (“spot buying”) to own shares directly, or trade price movements via Contracts for Difference (CFDs), which brings more flexibility and leverage. Whether you want to invest for the long term or trade in the short term, both methods have distinct advantages and different risk profiles. To find the best fit for your needs, we recommend checking our broker comparison section further down the page.

Spot Buying

What is cash purchase of Mastercard stock?
Spot buying, or a cash purchase, means you become a direct shareholder in Mastercard: you own real shares that can increase in value and may earn dividends. On Canadian platforms, you typically pay a fixed commission per trade (for example, $5–$10 per order), plus regulatory and exchange fees in Canadian dollars.

Example with a $1,000 investment

If the Mastercard share price is $546.63 USD (approx. $745 CAD, using 1.36 USD/CAD), you can buy roughly 1 share with a $1,000 CAD stake, after factoring in a brokerage fee of about $5 CAD. Any remaining cash difference remains in your account for future use or dividends.

• Gain scenario:
  If Mastercard’s share price rises by 10% to $822 CAD, your investment is now worth approximately $1,100 CAD.
  Result: +$100 gross gain, or +10% on your original investment (excluding currency movements and withholding taxes).

Trading via CFD

What is CFD trading on Mastercard shares?
CFDs (Contracts for Difference) allow you to speculate on Mastercard’s price changes without owning the underlying shares. Through CFDs, you can trade both rising (“long”) and falling (“short”) prices and access leverage—magnifying both potential gains and losses. With CFDs, you pay a spread (the difference between buy/sell price) and, if you hold your position overnight, a daily financing cost.

Example with a $1,000 CAD investment and 5x leverage

You open a CFD position on Mastercard with 5x leverage, giving you market exposure of $5,000 CAD. If Mastercard’s share price rises by 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: +$400 gain on your $1,000 stake (excluding spread and overnight fees). Remember: losses are also magnified with leverage.

Final Advice

Before investing, it’s crucial to compare broker fees, available trading platforms, and supported features such as USD accounts or fractional shares. Your ideal method—spot buying or CFD trading—should match your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. The best broker for you will depend on your preferred approach, which is why we provide a detailed broker comparison lower down this page to help you make a confident and well-informed choice.

Platforms

Minimum Deposit

Discover

#1

Tier 1 regulation, including ASIC and FSA

#1

Star Trader

4.9

Minimum Deposit

$50

Discover

with our partner Star Trader

#2

Broker specializing in Forex and CFDs

#2

IFC Markets

4.8

Minimum Deposit

$1

Discover

with our partner IFC Markets

#3

Broker regulated since 2006

#3

Avatrade

4.8

Minimum Deposit

$100

Discover

with our partner Avatrade

Our 7 tips for buying Mastercard stock

The latest news about Mastercard

Mastercard announced a multiyear extension and expansion of its partnership with the Canada Soccer Association on April 30, 2025, reinforcing its strong brand presence and commitment to Canadian sports.

This deal positions Mastercard as the official payment partner across major Canadian soccer events, including both the men's and women's national teams, grassroots programs, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted jointly by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. The expanded agreement aims to enhance the fan experience through innovative digital payment solutions and exclusive promotions for Canadian consumers, further entrenching Mastercard in the Canadian market at a time when national interest in soccer is expected to surge.

On May 1, 2025, Mastercard reported robust Q1 2025 results highlighting double-digit growth in Canada, driven by resilient consumer spending and increased cross-border travel.

During the company’s earnings call, executives emphasized Canada as a key market propelling gross dollar volume and transaction growth, benefiting from recovering international travel and a strong post-pandemic rebound in consumer activity. These results not only affirm the effectiveness of Mastercard's Canadian strategies but also reflect positively on its global performance and outlook, as Canada remains one of its top contributing geographies.

Mastercard and Canadian fintech firm Nuvei deepened their collaboration this past week, launching new instant payout solutions for Canadian merchants.

The partnership leverages Mastercard Send technology to enable near-instant payouts for e-commerce and gig economy businesses across Canada. By facilitating faster and more flexible payment options for Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises, Mastercard continues to support local innovation and respond to shifting digital commerce trends, strengthening its competitive advantage in Canada’s rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Recent regulatory developments confirm that Interac, Mastercard’s main domestic debit competitor, remains limited in cross-border online transactions, thereby sustaining Mastercard’s dominance in cross-border e-commerce payment corridors for Canadians.

This regulatory status maintains Mastercard’s edge in lucrative cross-border volumes, especially as Canadian consumers increase international online shopping and travel. Official comments from Payments Canada and the Competition Bureau within the past week indicate the status quo will persist in the near term, securing Mastercard’s position as a primary provider for international card-based payments from Canada.

Analyst consensus now points toward continued outperformance for Mastercard in North America, including Canada, citing its strong market penetration, innovation pipeline, and extensive acceptance network across the country.

Major brokerages, following last week's earnings and deal announcements, reiterated buy ratings while raising 12-month target prices, highlighting Mastercard’s effective adaptation to Canadian consumer preferences and regulatory environments. This renewed confidence from institutional experts is based on Mastercard’s sustained revenue momentum, robust local partnerships, and ongoing capital return initiatives, all of which favorably support the stock’s medium-term outlook for Canadian-focused investors.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.