Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 25,000 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Key Points

• Schwartz Investment Counsel cut its Masco stake by 50% in the fourth quarter, selling 25,000 shares and leaving it with 25,000 shares worth about $1.59 million.
• Masco reported strong quarterly EPS of $1.04, beating estimates, though revenue of $1.92 billion came in below expectations. The company also raised its full-year outlook to 4.10–4.30 EPS.
• Masco’s board approved a $2 billion share repurchase program, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, yielding about 1.8% annually.

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. lowered its holdings in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 50.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 25,000 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 25,000 shares during the quarter. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Masco were worth $1,586,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MAS. Rossby Financial LCC lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 134.2% in the 3rd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 370 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Masco in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Masco by 2,550.0% in the 4th quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 424 shares of the construction company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in Masco during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 114.5% in the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 549 shares of the construction company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $53,724.24. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,510 shares of the company's stock, valued at $899,719.20. The trade was a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Masco Price Performance

NYSE MAS opened at $69.84 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $65.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.23. Masco Corporation has a 52 week low of $58.16 and a 52 week high of $79.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.33, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.34.

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

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to reacquire up to 13.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Masco's payout ratio is presently 31.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $69.00 to $61.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $79.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Masco from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Masco from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $80.07.

Masco Company Profile

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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