Handelsbanken Fonder AB Trims Stock Holdings in Masco Corporation $MAS

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its Masco stake by 21.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 18,264 shares and leaving it with 68,200 shares valued at about $4.33 million.
• Masco reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.04 per share, topping estimates, though revenue of $1.92 billion came in below forecasts. The company also said it expects FY 2026 EPS of $4.10 to $4.30.
• The company continues to return capital to shareholders with a $2 billion share buyback program and a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, yielding about 1.9%.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its position in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 21.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 68,200 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 18,264 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in Masco were worth $4,328,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in Masco by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,371,864 shares of the construction company's stock worth $278,619,000 after purchasing an additional 267,012 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd acquired a new stake in Masco during the 3rd quarter worth about $16,398,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd grew its position in Masco by 347.5% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 102,810 shares of the construction company's stock worth $7,237,000 after purchasing an additional 79,834 shares during the period. National Pension Service grew its position in Masco by 38.2% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 110,856 shares of the construction company's stock worth $7,803,000 after purchasing an additional 30,617 shares during the period. Finally, Atria Investments Inc grew its position in Masco by 31.8% during the 3rd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 106,086 shares of the construction company's stock worth $7,467,000 after purchasing an additional 25,608 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Trading Up 0.2%

MAS opened at $67.28 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $65.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $66.21. Masco Corporation has a 1-year low of $58.16 and a 1-year high of $79.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.34.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.16. Masco had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 815.20%. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.87 EPS. The business's revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. Analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to purchase up to 13.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.76%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Masco news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total value of $53,724.24. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares of the company's stock, valued at $899,719.20. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on MAS shares. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Masco from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Masco from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Masco from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Masco from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Masco presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $80.07.

About Masco

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, the company has evolved from a small door‐bell manufacturer into a diversified enterprise serving both residential and commercial markets. Over its history, Masco has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions, building a portfolio of well-recognized brands.

The company's product offerings are organized into two primary segments.

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