New York, January 22, 2026, 17:35 EST — After-hours
Mastercard Incorporated shares climbed 1%, finishing Thursday at $532.86 and staying close to that price in after-hours trading. During the session, the stock fluctuated between $523.81 and $533.04. Trading volume surpassed recent averages, helping Mastercard outperform some major financial rivals, including Visa. 1
The rally followed a wider two-day bounce in U.S. stocks after President Donald Trump stepped back from tariff threats on European allies. New data also signaled a sturdy U.S. economy. “You do not know whether it is Christmas morning or Friday the 13th,” said Gregg Abella, CEO at Investment Partners Asset Management, capturing the market’s erratic swings. 2
Mastercard is set to report quarterly earnings next week, with investors focused on whether consumer spending holds up amid mounting political and regulatory pressure on the card industry. The company plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on January 29, followed by a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. 3
Mastercard is pushing hard into what it dubs “agentic commerce,” where software agents handle shopping and checkout. The company is teaming up with major tech players to establish security and identity standards at payment points. “Agentic commerce will only scale at the speed of trust,” said Sherri Haymond, executive vice president at Mastercard, in remarks to Axios. 4
Mastercard took action this week in Brazil, cutting off Will Bank cards from its network over alleged settlement schedule breaches. The move revealed deeper cracks in the country’s payments infrastructure. Following this, Brazil’s central bank stepped in and ordered the liquidation of Will Financeira, linked to the struggling Banco Master, after private rescue efforts fell through. 5
Washington remains focused on the credit-card sector. According to a source familiar with the matter, Bank of America is exploring new credit cards with a 10% interest rate following Trump’s push for a national cap. Citigroup is also reportedly considering a similar strategy, Bloomberg reported. 6
Still, sell-side analysts doubt a broad rate cap can be enforced without Congress. “It would take an Act of Congress for such rate caps to be in place,” UBS Global analysts noted earlier this month, following drops in Visa and Mastercard shares amid the policy talk. 7
Fee pressure remains a persistent challenge. Back in November, Visa and Mastercard unveiled a revised $38 billion settlement with merchants over swipe fees — those interchange charges merchants face when customers pay by card. Still, some merchant groups pushed back, arguing the acceptance rules restrict genuine choice at checkout. “You can’t just suddenly tell more than 80% of your card customers you’re not going to take their cards,” said Stephanie Martz, general counsel at the National Retail Federation. 8
The stock’s rebound leaves scant margin for error. Any weaker spending forecast, new regulatory pressures, or a slip in cross-border travel volumes could derail further gains, particularly as interest rates and political shifts continue to fuel rapid sector rotations.
Next on the docket: Mastercard is set to release its earnings before the bell on January 29. Investors are keen to see if the results and updated guidance shift the outlook for payment networks after a volatile start to 2026. 9
