10 Strong Buy S&P 500 Stocks to Invest In

8. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

On May 1, 2026, Susquehanna lowered its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to $665 from $670 and maintained a Positive rating. The firm said the year started strong, but April slowed, with cross-border travel growth decelerating to 2% from 8% in Q1, while purchase volume remained supported by cross-border payments, particularly non-travel, and new consumer and commercial wins.

On the same day, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to $679 from $678 and kept an Overweight rating, noting the FY outlook is unchanged as Middle East impacts and portfolio shifts weigh on high-yield cross-border volume. The firm added that underlying trends remain stable and U.S. spending is improving, excluding the Capital One migration.

On April 30, 2026, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $4.60 versus $4.41 consensus and revenue of $8.4B compared to $8.26B expected. CEO Michael Miebach said results reflect a “diversified” and “future-ready” business, with net revenue up 16% and value-added services growing 22% year over year, alongside progress in agentic commerce and stablecoin initiatives.

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