Masco (NYSE:MAS) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Masco (NYSE:MAS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Thursday.

MAS has been the topic of several other research reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Masco from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $85.96.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MAS traded up $1.00 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $80.95. The stock had a trading volume of 1,476,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,575,066. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The company has a market capitalization of $17.46 billion, a PE ratio of 21.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.24. Masco has a 1 year low of $55.13 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $81.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.85.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. Masco’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Masco will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.43%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total transaction of $2,961,592.48. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its holdings in Masco by 14.3% in the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 542,096 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $42,245,000 after purchasing an additional 67,806 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the first quarter worth approximately $1,903,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth $82,363,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Masco by 2.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,300,591 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,074,591,000 after acquiring an additional 721,117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its stake in Masco by 119.1% during the 1st quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 290,123 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $22,885,000 after acquiring an additional 157,711 shares during 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.