Masco (NYSE:MAS) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Masco (NYSE:MAS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning.

MAS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $85.96.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE MAS traded up $1.20 on Thursday, reaching $81.44. 786,355 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,802,050. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.57 billion, a PE ratio of 21.34, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco has a one year low of $55.13 and a one year high of $86.70. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $81.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $74.77.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. The firm had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. Masco’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.00 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Masco will post 4.1 EPS 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 $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the firm’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 sale, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in Masco by 6.7% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,031 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Masco by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 44,940 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,756,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Masco by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 7,031 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC grew its stake in shares of Masco by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 7,917 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $665,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Masco by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,127 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 142 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.