AI Agents in Commerce: Major companies like OpenAI, Stripe, and Shopify are developing AI agents for consumer transactions, but the technology is still in its early stages, facing challenges in fraud prevention and risk management.
Merchant Acceptance Challenges: While the infrastructure for AI transactions exists, smaller merchants are hesitant to adopt new technologies due to a lack of awareness and motivation, complicating the transition to agentic commerce.
AI Transaction Capabilities: Tests indicate that AI agents can complete purchases independently, but widespread deployment is limited due to concerns over agentic fraud, prompting companies to implement filtering protocols for legitimate transactions.
Historical Context of Payment Solutions: The evolution of payment solutions has historically favored merchants, with companies like Stripe and PayPal addressing technology adoption challenges, but the current shift towards AI is moving slower than expected.
Wall Street analysts forecast MA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MA is 690.04 USD with a low forecast of 607.00 USD and a high forecast of 1088 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
20 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast MA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MA is 690.04 USD with a low forecast of 607.00 USD and a high forecast of 1088 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
17 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 542.650
Low
607.00
Averages
690.04
High
1088
Current: 542.650
Low
607.00
Averages
690.04
High
1088
Freedom Capital
Mikhail Paramonov
Hold
maintain
$635 -> $655
Al Analysis
2025-12-25
Reason
Freedom Capital
Mikhail Paramonov
Price Target
$635 -> $655
Al Analysis
2025-12-25
maintain
Hold
Reason
Freedom Capital analyst Mikhail Paramonov raised the firm's price target on MasterCard (MA) to $655 from $635 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares. The firm cites the company's "strong" Q4 results for the target increase. Mastercard continues to post higher growth rates than Visa (V) despite its smaller scale, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
Evercore ISI
In Line
maintain
$600 -> $610
2025-12-12
Reason
Evercore ISI
Price Target
$600 -> $610
2025-12-12
maintain
In Line
Reason
Evercore ISI raised the firm's price target on MasterCard (MA) to $610 from $600 and keeps an In Line rating on the shares. The firm also added the stock and shares of peer Visa (V) to the firm's "Tactical Outperform" list heading into year-end and into the Q4 earnings season, citing potential reversion of relative year-to-date underperformance, valuation and potential for increased investor interest into year-end.
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Evercore ISI
In Line
maintain
$375 -> $380
2025-12-12
Reason
Evercore ISI
Price Target
$375 -> $380
2025-12-12
maintain
In Line
Reason
Evercore ISI raised the firm's price target on Visa (V) to $380 from $375 and keeps an In Line rating on the shares. The firm also added the stock and shares of peer MasterCard (MA) to the firm's "Tactical Outperform" list heading into year-end and into the Q4 earnings season, citing potential reversion of relative year-to-date underperformance, valuation and potential for increased investor interest into year-end.
HSBC
Hold
to
Buy
upgrade
$633
2025-12-07
Reason
HSBC
Price Target
$633
2025-12-07
upgrade
Hold
to
Buy
Reason
HSBC upgraded MasterCard to Buy from Hold with a $633 price target.
About MA
Mastercard Incorporated is a technology company in the global payments industry. The Company connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses and other organizations worldwide by enabling electronic payments and making those payment transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. It provides a range of payment solutions and services using its brands, including Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus. It operates a payments network that provides choice and flexibility for consumers, merchants and its customers. Through its proprietary global payments network, it switches (authorizes, clears and settles) payment transactions. Its additional payments capabilities include automated clearing house (ACH) transactions (both batch and real-time account-based payments). It offers security solutions, consumer acquisition and engagement, business and market insights, gateway, processing and open banking, among other services and solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
