By Sam Boughedda
Investing.com — After Mastercard Inc (NYSE:MA) shares initially moved lower Thursday, they have regained those losses following fourth-quarter earnings that beat analyst expectations.
Mastercard shares are currently up 1.33%.
The company's earnings were boosted by a continued rebound in consumer spending and a rise in cross-border spending which was above pre-pandemic levels.
Mastercard announced earnings per share of $2.35 on revenue of $5.22 billion. Analysts polled by Investing.com anticipated EPS of $2.21 on revenue of $5.17 billion. Revenue came in at $4.12 billion in the same period last year.
"We had a strong fourth quarter as spending trends continued to improve, with fourth quarter cross-border spending now above pre-pandemic levels. We are optimistic about the coming year as consumers, businesses and governments have become more adaptable to the changing environment," said Michael Miebach, Mastercard's CEO.
The company sees first-quarter and full-year 2022 net revenue growth in the "high-teens" percentage range. Meanwhile, they saw pent-up travel demand in 2020 and 2021 and expect it to continue.