Mastercard Incorporated - MA STOCK NEWS

Mastercard SpendingPulse reports U.S. retail sales excluding automotive increased +3.4% on Black Friday 2023 compared to last year. E-commerce sales showed significant growth of +14.6%, while in-store sales rose modestly by +0.7%. Jewelry, Electronics, and Apparel emerged as top gift sectors, with Apparel showing particular strength in online sales.

The two-week period leading to Black Friday highlighted consumer focus on value and promotions. Notable trends included strong performance in Apparel and Footwear sectors, increased Grocery spending, and robust Restaurant activity on Black Friday. Regional standouts included Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and Colorado.

The city of Aarhus, Denmark has implemented an innovative deposit return program for reusable drink cups to combat street litter. Since January, the system allows customers to pay a 5-krone deposit for reusable cups, which can be returned through 27 machines across the city. The program, developed in partnership with TOMRA Systems and utilizing Mastercard Move for payments, has introduced 630,000 REUSABLE cups, reducing city waste by 10 tons. With an 88% return rate, the system integrates cashless payments for a seamless user experience. The city plans to expand the program to include reusable containers for food items, serving as a potential model for other cities worldwide.

Mastercard has announced plans to transform online shopping by 2030, aiming to eliminate manual card entry and passwords in favor of biometric authentication. The company will combine tokenization with biometric authentication for secure, seamless checkout. Currently, over 30% of Mastercard transactions worldwide are tokenized, with key markets like India approaching 100% for e-commerce. The initiative addresses significant challenges in online shopping, including fraud rates that are seven times higher online than in stores, and cart abandonment issues where 25% of carts are abandoned due to complex checkout processes. Tokenization is already showing positive results, increasing transaction approvals by 3-6 percentage points and generating up to $2 billion in additional global sales monthly.

Mastercard is strengthening its climate resilience strategy through the work of Montana Eck, Director for Climate Risk and Resilience. With over 170 global sites facing various weather challenges, the company is implementing comprehensive measures to protect facilities and employees from extreme weather events. The initiative includes a detailed assessment of climate risks at each location, development of a 'Smart Resilience Checklist', and implementation of adaptation strategies like installing 'cool' pavement and creating forestry management plans. Real-time weather monitoring stations are being installed at key locations to collect data on temperature, wind speed, humidity, and rainfall to inform future resilience decisions.

Mastercard has announced plans to transform online shopping by 2030, aiming to eliminate manual card entry and passwords in favor of biometric authentication. The company will combine tokenization with biometric verification to make checkout seamless and secure. Currently, over 30% of Mastercard transactions worldwide are tokenized, with some markets like India approaching 100% for e-commerce. The initiative addresses key challenges in online shopping, including fraud rates that are seven times higher online than in stores, and cart abandonment issues where 25% of carts are abandoned due to complex checkout processes. Tokenization is already showing positive results, improving transaction approvals by 3-6 percentage points and generating up to $2 billion in additional monthly global sales for merchants.

Mastercard hosted its first-ever Africa Esports Summit in Casablanca, strengthening its position in Africa's gaming industry. The continent represents a significant gaming market with nearly 200 million gamers, 95% playing on mobile. In-app purchases in Sub-Saharan Africa reached $778.6 million in 2022, with projections showing the industry will generate over $1 billion in consumer revenue by 2024. The summit brought together leaders from finance, technology, and gaming sectors, featuring discussions on payment solutions, mobile money innovations, and regulatory frameworks for Africa's esports ecosystem.

Mastercard announces Biz360, a comprehensive digital platform designed to help small businesses streamline their operations. The solution comes as a response to research showing 75% of small businesses use digital tools daily, with 25% juggling over six different platforms. Biz360 offers features including consolidated operational tools, automated administrative tasks, customer relationship management, and data-driven insights. The platform will initially launch through collaboration with Hello Alice for select U.S. businesses, with plans for broader market expansion in 2025.

Mastercard has launched Strive Colombia, an initiative aimed at digitally transforming small businesses in Colombia. The program, launched by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, targets micro and small businesses which comprise over 99% of Colombia's businesses and generate nearly 80% of jobs. Through partnerships with organizations like Fundación Capital and NYU's Financial Access Initiative, Strive Colombia aims to support more than 80,000 micro and small businesses, helping them access new markets, develop sales channels, and implement digital strategies. This initiative contributes to Mastercard's recently achieved goal of bringing 50 million small businesses into the digital economy.

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has announced plans to webcast its Investment Community Meeting on November 13, 2024. The main session will begin at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time and continue for approximately three hours. During the meeting, senior management will present updates on the company's strategy, products, and business initiatives.

The event will be accessible via live webcast, with a replay available for 30 days at investor.mastercard.com. While the webcast is open to all, in-person attendance is restricted to investment professionals. Presentation slides will be made available on Mastercard's website before the meeting.