Masco (NYSE:MAS) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $63.12 and last traded at $63.56, with a volume of 1059015 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.06.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MAS shares. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup cut their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Zelman & Associates raised Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Oppenheimer raised Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Masco in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “hold” rating and a $71.00 price target for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $85.30.

Masco Trading Down 2.0 %

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.30 billion, a PE ratio of 16.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.83 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.98%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In related news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Masco by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 465,848 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $39,103,000 after buying an additional 40,731 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 8.2% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 9,215 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $774,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Centiva Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the third quarter valued at $464,000. Hilltop Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the third quarter valued at $239,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario increased its position in Masco by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 17,249 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,448,000 after purchasing an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.