Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Receives $83.37 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $83.37.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $71.00 target price on the stock. Zelman & Associates upgraded Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Masco from $82.00 to $65.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $74.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th.

Masco Trading Down 2.5 %

NYSE MAS opened at $60.06 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $69.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.52. Masco has a twelve month low of $57.27 and a twelve month high of $86.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The company has a market capitalization of $12.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) 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 period last year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.06%. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total transaction 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Masco

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MAS. Abundance Wealth Counselors boosted its position in shares of Masco by 1.7% during the first quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors now owns 18,467 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,311,000 after buying an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 120.2% during the 1st quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 381 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in shares of Masco by 1.0% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 24,832 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,726,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 25.6% during the first quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 40,036 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,784,000 after purchasing an additional 8,149 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clarius Group LLC bought a new position in Masco during the first quarter valued at approximately $382,000. Institutional investors 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.