Citigroup Cuts Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target to $77.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price objective reduced by stock analysts at Citigroup from $82.00 to $77.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the construction company’s stock. Citigroup’s price target suggests a potential upside of 5.32% from the stock’s previous close.

MAS has been the topic of several other research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Masco from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $85.00 price target (down from $92.00) on shares of Masco in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $79.00 to $80.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $86.79.

Masco Stock Up 1.3 %

Masco stock traded up $0.91 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $73.11. The stock had a trading volume of 755,752 shares, compared to its average volume of 807,562. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $78.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $77.16. The company has a market capitalization of $15.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.44, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.25. 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 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. Masco’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Masco will post 4.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Iowa State Bank increased its stake in shares of Masco by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 50,751 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,683,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Masco by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 31,887 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,314,000 after acquiring an additional 6,768 shares during the period. Pensionfund Sabic lifted its position in shares of Masco by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Pensionfund Sabic now owns 18,000 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,306,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 21.0% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,997,839 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $218,063,000 after acquiring an additional 520,555 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Masco by 9.7% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,732 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 686 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Company Profile

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.