Masco (NYSE:MAS) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

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

MAS has been the topic of several other research reports. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Masco from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, 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 report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $85.96.

Masco Trading Down 1.0 %

MAS opened at $78.42 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.24. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $81.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $75.23. Masco has a one year low of $58.89 and a one year high of $86.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.83.

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 firm had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.00 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the 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 directly owns 36,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 50.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAS. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 1st quarter valued at about $476,000. Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth $280,000. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its stake in Masco by 1.8% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 9,516 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $751,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Masco by 12.0% during the first quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 21,264 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,677,000 after purchasing an additional 2,275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. acquired a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth $445,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.