Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $73.63.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zelman & Associates upgraded Masco to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $71.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $71.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price target on Masco from $92.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th.

Masco Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of Masco stock traded up $0.46 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $67.68. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,391,791 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,789,711. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco has a 52-week low of $56.55 and a 52-week high of $86.70. The firm's 50-day moving average is $64.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.91. The company has a market cap of $14.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.00, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.05). Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. The business had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Masco will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Masco's dividend payout ratio is 33.88%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total transaction 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. This represents a 26.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,370,678.06. The trade was a 8.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its position 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Masco in the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.