Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 23.9% in March to 8,998,334 shares (about 4.5% of the stock), with a days-to-cover ratio of 3.3 based on average daily volume.
• Board authorized a $2.0 billion share buyback (up to 13.5% of outstanding shares) and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.32 (a $1.28 annualized payout, ~2.0% yield), indicating a focus on returning capital to shareholders.
• Analysts are mixed and consensus is "Hold" with an average price target of $75.93; the company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter (beating estimates) and set FY2026 guidance of $4.10–$4.30 per share.

Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 8,998,334 shares, an increase of 23.9% from the March 15th total of 7,261,485 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,742,284 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days. Currently, 4.5% of the company's stock are sold short.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $53,724.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,510 shares of the company's stock, valued at $899,719.20. This trade represents 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 this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Masco

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rossby Financial LCC grew its holdings in Masco by 134.2% during the third quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 370 shares of the construction company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Masco during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Masco by 2,550.0% during the fourth quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 424 shares of the construction company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 408 shares during the period. Finally, Community Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in Masco during the third quarter worth about $34,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore upgraded Masco from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $78.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Masco in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $70.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Masco from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $75.93.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MAS traded up $0.57 during trading on Thursday, hitting $63.74. The stock had a trading volume of 2,831,503 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,617,617. Masco has a 12-month low of $56.55 and a 12-month high of $79.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $66.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.98.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.04. Masco had a return on equity of 856.70% and a net margin of 10.71%.The firm had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.89 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Masco will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This is a positive change from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.25%.

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

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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