Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $85.96.

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Masco from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Masco from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

Masco Stock Down 1.2 %

NYSE MAS opened at $76.17 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.24. Masco has a 52 week low of $58.89 and a 52 week 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. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $81.81 and a 200-day moving average of $75.34.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.52%. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total value of $2,961,592.48. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. The trade was a 50.56 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAS. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its position in Masco by 46.0% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the third quarter worth $38,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.