Global payments technology company Mastercard (NYSE: MA) beat Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q1 CY2026, with sales up 15.8% year on year to $8.40 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $4.60 per share was 4.2% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
Is now the time to buy Mastercard? Find out by accessing our full research report, it’s free.
Mastercard (MA) Q1 CY2026 Highlights:
- Revenue: $8.40 billion vs analyst estimates of $8.25 billion (15.8% year-on-year growth, 1.8% beat)
- Pre-tax Profit: $4.81 billion (57.3% margin)
- Adjusted EPS: $4.60 vs analyst estimates of $4.41 (4.2% beat)
- Market Capitalization: $464.5 billion
Company Overview
Recognizable by its iconic "Priceless" advertising campaign that has run in over 120 countries, Mastercard (NYSE: MA) operates a global payments network that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, and businesses, enabling electronic transactions and providing payment solutions.
Revenue Growth
Examining a company’s long-term performance can provide clues about its quality. Even a bad business can shine for one or two quarters, but a top-tier one grows for years. Luckily, Mastercard’s revenue grew at an impressive 17% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. Its growth surpassed the average financials company and shows its offerings resonate with customers, a great starting point for our analysis.
Long-term growth is the most important, but within financials, a half-decade historical view may miss recent interest rate changes and market returns. Mastercard’s annualized revenue growth of 14.9% over the last two years is below its five-year trend, but we still think the results suggest healthy demand. 
Note: Quarters not shown were determined to be outliers, impacted by outsized investment gains/losses that are not indicative of the recurring fundamentals of the business.
This quarter, Mastercard reported year-on-year revenue growth of 15.8%, and its $8.40 billion of revenue exceeded Wall Street’s estimates by 1.8%.
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Key Takeaways from Mastercard’s Q1 Results
It was encouraging to see Mastercard beat analysts’ revenue expectations this quarter. We were also glad its EPS outperformed Wall Street’s estimates. Overall, this print had some key positives. Investors were likely hoping for more, and shares traded down 1.9% to $515.50 immediately following the results.
Big picture, is Mastercard a buy here and now? We think that the latest quarter is only one piece of the longer-term business quality puzzle. Quality, when combined with valuation, can help determine if the stock is a buy. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here (it’s free).
