Mastercard Incorporated MA recently showed that small businesses still want to grow, but they increasingly prefer growth that is steady, protected and easier to manage. Its Dreamonomics survey of more than 6,000 SMEs across 18 countries found that 68% prioritize stability and predictability over rapid growth, while 54% avoid unnecessary financial risk.
At the same time, 61% favor deeper customer relationships over simply reaching more buyers. Mastercard is using these findings to position itself as more than a payments provider. Its new Collection for Business combines payment capabilities with productivity tools, travel and lifestyle benefits, cybersecurity support and business-focused experiences for eligible cardholders.
Mastercard is identifying clear gaps between what small businesses need and what they currently use. SMEs already rely on five digital tools on average, yet 89% intend to add more and 78% say integrated tools are critical.
Cybersecurity presents an even wider opening: 71% consider cyber protection a priority, but only 37% currently use cybersecurity tools. Interest in AI is also high, with 70% excited about its potential and 41% especially interested in fraud and security uses. In North America, 59% of business card users want premium solutions, while only 40% currently use them.
The report points to an opportunity for Mastercard to deepen its small-business relationships beyond basic card transactions. Strong demand for integrated digital tools, cybersecurity and premium business-card features could support higher card adoption, greater payment activity and broader use of value-added services. That could strengthen engagement and create more revenue opportunities across payments, security and services.
How Are Peers Placed?
Major rival Visa Inc. V is leaning heavily into the infrastructure and tools side of the opportunity. Its new Visa & Main platform targets three areas: access to capital, reaching customers and adopting modern business tools. It also includes digital payment acceptance, expense management, money movement, fraud and dispute tools, financial education and AI-powered advisory services. Visa launched the platform with a $100 million working-capital facility.
Meanwhile, American Express Company AXP is approaching the opportunity more through its business-card ecosystem and customer relationships. Its Business Blueprint gives small businesses a consolidated view of Amex cards, checking and credit-line products, plus cash-flow and expense insights.
Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Shares of Mastercard have lost 0.5% year to date compared with the broader industry’s 11.2% decline.
From a valuation standpoint, Mastercard trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.78X, higher than the industry average. Mastercard carries a Value Score of D.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies a 16.8% rise year over year, followed by 15.3% growth next year.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).