10 Most Profitable S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now

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6. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

On March 19, 2026, BNP Paribas upgraded Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to Outperform from Neutral previously with a $600 price target.

On March 17, 2026, Mastercard Incorporated (MA) announced a definitive agreement to acquire BVNK for up to $1.8B, including $300M in contingent payments. The company said the transaction will expand its capabilities in digital assets and cross-border value movement, with closing expected before year-end, subject to regulatory approvals. Chief Product Officer Jorn Lambert said the deal supports efforts to bring “tokenized money to the real world,” adding that integrating on-chain rails will enhance transaction speed and programmability across its network.

On March 13, 2026, Tigress Financial raised its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (MA)  to $735 from $730 previously and maintained a Strong Buy rating, citing the company’s positioning in the ongoing shift from cash to electronic payments. The firm said the recent pullback presents a “major buying opportunity.”

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) provides payment processing and financial transaction services globally.

While we acknowledge the potential of MA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Profitable S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now.

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