Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $86.32.

Several research analysts have commented on the company. 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, November 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Oppenheimer raised Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $96.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th.

Masco Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $74.70 on Friday. Masco has a 52 week low of $63.81 and a 52 week high of $86.70. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $78.79. 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 cap of $15.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25.

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

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.98%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other Masco news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MAS. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Masco by 13,069.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 29,631 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,487,000 after purchasing an additional 29,406 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Masco by 40.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 14,860 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,242,000 after buying an additional 4,249 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $218,000. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its position in shares of Masco by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 3,884 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. grew its position in shares of Masco by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 410,225 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $34,434,000 after buying an additional 3,983 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.