With a net income margin of 45.88% and upside potential of 30.00%, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) ranks among the best extremely profitable stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts. The company reported net income of $14.97 billion for the recently completed fiscal year (FY25).
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That momentum remained visible in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s first-quarter 2026 results reported on April 30, 2026, where net revenue rose 16%, or 12% on a currency-neutral basis. Payment network revenue grew 12%, driven by gross dollar volume of $2.7 trillion, cross-border volume growth of 13%, and switched transaction growth of 9%. Meanwhile, value-added services and solutions revenue climbed 22%, or 18% on a currency-neutral basis.
During the quarter, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) repurchased 7.8 million shares for $4.0 billion and paid $777 million in dividends. About $11.7 billion remains under approved repurchase programs.
CEO Michael Miebach stated,
“Building on our strong foundation, we’re advancing agentic commerce with Mastercard Agent Pay and expanding our stablecoin solutions through the planned acquisition of BVNK. We’re well positioned to capture the next wave of digital payments growth and continue to support secure commerce around the world.”
In response, analysts expressed caution on the volume side.
On May 12, 2026, Truist trimmed its price target on Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) to $561 from $590, keeping a “Buy” rating, citing weaker cross-border volume and softer EMEA payments activity. Earlier, on May 1, 2026, Susquehanna cut its target to $665 from $670, maintaining a “Positive” rating and noting that cross-border travel growth slowed to 2% in April from 8% in Q1.
While analysts reassess cross-border growth expectations following a solid first quarter, Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) continues to draw investor attention after announcing a sweeping partnership with JD.com.
The partnership, announced May 15, 2026, combines Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)’s payments infrastructure with JD.com’s digital retail, logistics, and supply chain capabilities. The two companies plan to build out global payment connectivity to support JD.com’s international expansion, explore a cross-border supply chain finance ecosystem for small and medium-sized businesses, and expand international card acceptance for travelers in China. They also said they would explore agentic AI-powered purchasing solutions through Mastercard Agent Pay and pursue co-branded card initiatives.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) operates in the payments industry and is one of the leading payment processors for everyday consumers, financial institutions, governments, and businesses. The company is headquartered in New York, United States.
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