(By Balaseshan) MasterCard Inc. (NYSE:MA), the No. 2 payments network, reported a 15.1% growth in quarterly earnings, which beat Street's expectations, on strong volume and lower taxes. However, revenue missed consensus, sending its shares down 2.86% in premarket.
Profit grew 15.1% to $700 million for the second quarter, while earnings per share (EPS) soared 16.6% to $5.55. Excluding a special item, profit grew 17% to $713 million, while EPS increased 19% to $5.65.
Net revenue rose 9% to $1.82 billion. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased 13%.
Revenue growth was driven by the impact of a 15% increase in gross dollar volume on a local currency basis, to $890 billion; an increase in processed transactions of 29%, to 8.5 billion; and an increase in cross-border volumes of 17%.
Analysts, on average, surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected an earnings of $5.58 per share on revenue of $1.88 billion for the second quarter.
Worldwide purchase volume during the quarter was up 13% on a local currency basis versus last year, to $661 billion. As of June 30, 2012, the company's customers had issued 1.8 billion MasterCard and Maestro-branded cards.
Purchase volume from credit and charge programs increased 12.9%, while purchase volume from debit programs grew 15.1%.
Effective tax rate declined to 28.0% from 31.8%, primarily on discrete benefits relating to additional export incentives and the conclusion of tax examinations in certain jurisdictions. A more favorable geographic mix of earnings also contributed to the decrease.
On July 25, peer Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) reported stronger-than-forecast quarterly earnings, spurred by double-digit revenue growth from data processing, service and international transactions. Visa also announced a new $1 billion class A share buyback plan.
MA closed Tuesday's regular session at $436.57. The stock has been trading between $291.67 and $466.98 for the past 52 weeks.