Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Reduces Stake in Masco Corporation $MAS

Key Points

• Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. has reduced its stake in Masco Corporation by 2.2%, now owning approximately 322,144 shares worth $22.4 million.
• Masco's stock has seen analyst price targets raised, with JPMorgan Chase updating their target from $65 to $74 while maintaining a "neutral" rating.
• Masco Corporation announced a quarterly dividend of $0.31 per share, which reflects an annualized yield of 1.6% and a payout ratio of 32.89%.

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 2.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 322,144 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 7,110 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned 0.15% of Masco worth $22,402,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Masco by 120.2% in the first quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 381 shares of the construction company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in Masco in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in Masco in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Masco in the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco in the first quarter worth about $50,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on MAS shares. Barclays lifted their target price on Masco from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Masco from $62.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Baird R W lowered Masco from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Masco from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.60.

Masco Stock Down 1.5%

MAS stock traded down $1.13 during trading on Friday, reaching $74.09. 414,276 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,143,090. Masco Corporation has a 12 month low of $56.55 and a 12 month high of $86.70. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.06. The company has a market capitalization of $15.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.63, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.82.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The construction company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.22. Masco had a return on equity of 1,519.31% and a net margin of 10.51%.The company had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Masco has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.900-4.100 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.89%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 2,431 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.62, for a total transaction of $181,401.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $898,126.32. This trade represents a 16.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jai Shah sold 82,910 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.04, for a total transaction of $6,304,476.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 39,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,014,073.52. This trade represents a 67.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.