14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now

11. Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 136

Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) is among the 14 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Buy Now. As of the close of business on December 17, Wall Street analysts have a consensus Strong Buy rating on the stock, with a one-year average share price target of $685.25, representing an upside of 20%.

Recent analyst updates include Oppenheimer’s Rayna Kumar reiterating a Buy rating on the stock with a share price target of $683 on December 10.

On the same day, Evercore ISI raised its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to $610 from $600 while maintaining an In Line rating on the shares. The firm also said that it was including the company in its ‘Tactical Outperform’ List.

Oppenheimer and Evercore ISI’s updates followed HSBC’s adjustment on the stock on December 8, when it upgraded the stock’s rating to Buy from Hold and hiked its share price target to $633 from $598, citing the company’s valuation and strong financial position.

In other news, on December 9, the company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.87, representing a 14% increase from the last dividend. It is scheduled to be paid on February 9, 2026, to all shareholders of its Class A and B stock as of the close on January 9, 2026.

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.