New York, Jan 8, 2026, 19:42 EST — After-hours trading kicked off and was in progress.
- Apple said JPMorgan will become the new issuer of Apple Card in about 24 months; Mastercard stays the payment network
- Mastercard shares hovered near $580 late Thursday; Visa fell about 1% in regular trading
- Investors are watching Friday’s U.S. payrolls report and Mastercard’s next earnings update later this month
Mastercard Incorporated shares stayed flat in after-hours trading Thursday following Apple’s announcement that JPMorgan Chase will take over as the new issuer of the Apple Card, with Mastercard continuing as the payment network. Mastercard Americas president Linda Kirkpatrick said the company is “thrilled” to keep working with Apple and Chase on the card. Apple
For Mastercard, the shift is really about keeping transactions flowing through its network, not shouldering loan risk. The issuing bank handles lending to cardholders and managing their balances. Meanwhile, Mastercard’s network zeroes in on routing payments and collecting processing fees.
JPMorgan and Apple announced the deal will transfer more than $20 billion in Apple Card balances to Chase once it’s wrapped up, though the full switch likely won’t occur for about two years, pending regulatory approval. JPMorgan is bracing for a $2.2 billion credit loss hit in Q4 2025 tied to the forward purchase agreement. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon described the deal as a move that “substantially completes” its consumer business overhaul. Reuters
Mastercard shares last traded at $580.07, holding fairly steady late Thursday after swinging between $573.73 and $589.66 earlier in the session. Meanwhile, Visa wrapped up the day roughly 1% down, closing at $352.23.
The broader market ended on a mixed note, with the S&P 500 inching up just 0.01%, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.44%. Investors seemed cautious, bracing for Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for December. Meanwhile, the latest data showed weekly jobless claims nudging higher.
Payments stocks often follow the wider market, shifting as investors balance hopes for a “soft landing” with fears of an economic slowdown; after all, fee growth reflects how people spend. But with Mastercard, traders zero in on cross-border volume — that is, card spending overseas — since it typically generates bigger fees.
On the charts, Nasdaq Dorsey Wright noted that Mastercard recently broke through a “double top” near $584, a level where stocks often hit resistance after stalling twice. They highlighted support — a price range where buyers could step back in — sitting around $528. Nasdaq Dorsey Wright
Still, the Apple Card switch is crawling along. Approvals aren’t instant, and the entire process can stretch out to about two years. That makes it tricky to know if Mastercard’s figures will suffer anytime soon. Apple and JPMorgan haven’t clarified whether the card’s financial terms will change under the new issuer, leaving the network uncertain about what lies ahead for the program.
Separately, Mastercard named Jan. 9 as the cutoff for shareholders entitled to its next quarterly cash dividend, which will be 87 cents per share, payable Feb. 9. The company also gave the green light to a sizable $14 billion share buyback program.
Up next, investors have their sights on Mastercard’s quarterly earnings, expected Jan. 29, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar.
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