Item 6. [Reserved]
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Item 6. [Reserved]
MASTERCARD 2025 FORM 10-K 48
PART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Item 7. Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes of Mastercard Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries, including Mastercard International Incorporated (together, “Mastercard” or the “Company”), included elsewhere in this Report. Percentage changes provided throughout “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” were calculated on amounts rounded to the nearest thousand. For discussion related to the results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, please see Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Business Overview
Mastercard is a technology company in the global payments industry. We connect consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, digital partners, businesses and other organizations worldwide by enabling electronic payments and making those payment transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. We make payments easier and more efficient by providing a wide range of payment solutions and services using our family of well-known and trusted brands, including our primary brand Mastercard®, as well as our Maestro® and Cirrus® brands. We operate a payments network that provides choice and flexibility for consumers, merchants and our customers. Through our unique and proprietary global payments network, we switch (authorize, clear and settle) payment transactions. We have additional payments capabilities that include automated clearing house (“ACH”) transactions (both batch and real-time account-based payments). Using these capabilities, we offer consumer and commercial payment products, capture new payment flows and provide services and solutions. These services and solutions include, among others, security solutions, consumer acquisition and engagement services, business and market insights, digital and authentication, processing and gateway and other solutions, all of which draw on our principled and responsible use of secure data. Our capabilities strengthen, reinforce and complement each other and are fundamentally interdependent. For our global payments network, our franchise model sets the standards and ground-rules that balance value and risk across (and allow for interoperability among) all stakeholders. We employ a multi-layered approach to help protect the global payments ecosystem in which we operate.
Mastercard is not a financial institution. We do not issue cards, extend credit, determine or receive revenue from interest rates or other fees charged to account holders by issuers (the account holders’ financial institutions), nor do we establish the rates charged by acquirers (the merchants’ financial institutions) in connection with merchants’ acceptance of our products. In most cases, account holder relationships belong to, and are managed by, our customers.
Financial Results Overview
The following table provides a summary of our key GAAP operating results, as reported:
| Years ended December 31, | 2025 Increase/ (Decrease) | 2024 Increase/ (Decrease) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in millions, except percentages and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 32,791 | $ | 28,167 | $ | 25,098 | 16% | 12% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | $ | 13,894 | $ | 12,585 | $ | 11,090 | 10% | 13% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating income | $ | 18,897 | $ | 15,582 | $ | 14,008 | 21% | 11% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating margin | 57.6 | % | 55.3 | % | 55.8 | % | 2.3 ppt | (0.5) ppt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | $ | 3,610 | $ | 2,380 | $ | 2,444 | 52% | (3)% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Effective income tax rate | 19.4 | % | 15.6 | % | 17.9 | % | 3.8 ppt | (2.3) ppt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 14,968 | $ | 12,874 | $ | 11,195 | 16% | 15% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted earnings per share | $ | 16.52 | $ | 13.89 | $ | 11.83 | 19% | 17% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding | 906 | 927 | 946 | (2)% | (2)% |
Note: Table may not sum due to rounding.
49 MASTERCARD 2025 FORM 10-K
PART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table provides a summary of our key non-GAAP operating results1, adjusted to exclude the impact of gains and losses on our equity investments, Special Items (which represent litigation judgments and settlements and certain one-time items) and the related tax impacts on our non-GAAP adjustments. In addition, we have presented growth rates adjusted for the impact of currency:
| Years ended December 31, | 2025 Increase/(Decrease) | 2024 Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | As adjusted | Currency-neutral | As adjusted | Currency-neutral | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in millions, except percentages and per share data) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 32,791 | $ | 28,167 | $ | 25,098 | 16% | 15% | 12% | 13% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating expenses | $ | 13,389 | $ | 11,714 | $ | 10,551 | 14% | 14% | 11% | 11% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin | 59.2 | % | 58.4 | % | 58.0 | % | 0.8 ppt | 0.7 ppt | 0.4 ppt | 0.7 ppt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted effective income tax rate | 19.6 | % | 16.2 | % | 18.5 | % | 3.4 ppt | 3.4 ppt | (2.3) ppt | (2.2) ppt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 15,415 | $ | 13,541 | $ | 11,607 | 14% | 13% | 17% | 18% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted diluted earnings per share | $ | 17.01 | $ | 14.60 | $ | 12.26 | 17% | 15% | 19% | 21% |
Note: Table may not sum due to rounding.
1 See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” for further information on our non-GAAP adjustments and the reconciliation to GAAP reported amounts.
Key highlights for 2025 as compared to 2024 were as follows:
| Net revenue | |||||||||||
| GAAP | Non-GAAP (currency-neutral) | Both the as-reported and currency-neutral net revenue increases were attributable to growth in our payment network and value-added services and solutions. | |||||||||
| up 16% | up 15% | ||||||||||
| Operating expenses | Adjusted operating expenses | ||||||||||
| GAAP | Non-GAAP (currency-neutral) | Both the as-reported and as-adjusted operating expenses increases were primarily due to higher general and administrative expenses. | |||||||||
| up 10% | up 14% | ||||||||||
| Effective income tax rate | Adjusted effective income tax rate | ||||||||||
| GAAP | Non-GAAP | Both the as-reported and as-adjusted effective income tax rates were higher versus the comparable period in 2024, primarily due to a change in the net tax effect of our Singapore operations, which includes the 15% global minimum tax rate (Pillar 2 Rules) that took effect in 2025. Additionally, a change in our geographic mix of earnings contributed to the higher effective income tax rates, partially offset by net discrete tax benefits. | |||||||||
| 19.4% | 19.6% | ||||||||||
| up 3.8 ppt | up 3.4 ppt |
Other 2025 financial highlights were as follows:
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We generated net cash flows from operations of $17.6 billion.
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We repurchased 21.1 million shares of our common stock for $11.7 billion and paid dividends of $2.8 billion.
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We completed a debt offering in February 2025 for an aggregate principal amount of $1.25 billion.
MASTERCARD 2025 FORM 10-K 50
PART II
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Non-GAAP Financial Information
Non-GAAP financial information is defined as a numerical measure of a company’s performance that excludes or includes amounts so as to be different than the most comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). As described more fully below, our non-GAAP financial measures exclude, where applicable, the impact of gains and losses on our equity investments, which includes mark-to-market fair value adjustments, impairments and gains and losses upon disposition, as well as the related tax impacts. Our non-GAAP financial measures also exclude, where applicable, the impact of special items, which represent litigation judgments and settlements and/or certain one-time items, as well as the related tax impacts (“Special Items”). We also present growth rates adjusted for the impact of currency, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. We believe that the non-GAAP financial measures presented facilitate an understanding of our operating performance and provide a meaningful comparison of our results between periods. We use non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our ongoing operations in relation to historical results, for internal planning and forecasting purposes and in the calculation of performance-based compensation, among other things. We excluded these items because management evaluates the underlying operations and performance of the Company separately from these recurring and nonrecurring items. Operating expenses, operating margin, other income (expense), effective income tax rate, net income and diluted earnings per share, each as adjusted for the impact of gains and losses on our equity investments, Special Items and/or the impact of currency, should not be relied upon as substitutes for measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.
Our non-GAAP financial measures for the comparable periods exclude the impact of the following:
Gains and Losses on Equity Investments
- During 2025, 2024 and 2023, we recorded net pre-tax losses of $88 million ($90 million after tax, or $0.10 per diluted share), $29 million ($25 million after tax, or $0.03 per diluted share) and $61 million ($36 million after tax, or $0.04 per diluted share), respectively. These net losses were primarily related to unrealized fair market value adjustments on marketable and nonmarketable equity securities.
Special Items
Litigation provisions
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During 2025, we recorded pre-tax charges of $504 million ($357 million after tax, or $0.39 per diluted share), primarily as a result of a change in estimate related to the claims of merchants who opted out of the U.S. merchant class litigation, a legal provision associated with the U.S. liability shift litigation and a legal provision associated with the ATM non-discrimination rule surcharge complaints.
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During 2024, we recorded pre-tax charges of $680 million ($495 million after tax, or $0.53 per diluted share), primarily as a result of a legal provision associated with the U.K. consumer class action settlement, settlements with a number of U.K. merchants and a change in estimate related to the claims of merchants who opted out of the U.S. merchant class litigation.
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During 2023, we recorded pre-tax charges of $539 million ($376 million after tax, or $0.40 per diluted share), primarily as a result of changes in the estimate related to the claims of merchants who opted out of the U.S. merchant class litigation and settlements with a number of U.K. and Pan-European merchants.
Restructuring charge
- During 2024, we recorded a restructuring charge of $190 million ($147 million after tax, or $0.16 per diluted share). The restructuring action was intended to streamline our organization, delivering efficiencies to enable reinvestment in our business to support the realization of our long-term growth opportunities.
See Note 5 (Investments) and Note 19 (Legal and Regulatory Proceedings) to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report for further discussion related to certain of the items discussed above.
51 MASTERCARD 2025 FORM 10-K
PART II
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