Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $69.62.

Several research analysts have weighed in on MAS shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Masco from $65.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Masco in a research report on Friday, January 19th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock.

Masco Price Performance

MAS opened at $73.06 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $75.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.87. The firm has a market cap of $16.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.25. Masco has a twelve month low of $47.66 and a twelve month high of $78.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.05.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. Masco had a net margin of 11.40% and a return on equity of 3,111.50%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.65 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Masco will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Richard Allan Marshall sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.05, for a total transaction of $385,250.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,328.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, VP Richard Allan Marshall sold 5,000 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.05, for a total value of $385,250.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,328.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $2,703,076.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 58,885 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,395,765.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 83,762 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,597. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Masco by 62.4% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. increased its position in shares of Masco by 270.6% in the third quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 667 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 487 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. increased its position in shares of Masco by 137.5% in the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 532 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

About Masco

Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products.