Wall Street Zen Upgrades Masco (NYSE:MAS) to Hold

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 target price (down from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $92.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $71.00 target price on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.63.

Masco Trading Up 2.8%

NYSE:MAS traded up $1.74 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $63.53. The stock had a trading volume of 2,047,850 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,803,225. The company has a market cap of $13.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23. Masco has a one year low of $56.55 and a one year high of $86.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.75. The business's 50 day moving average is $63.97 and its 200-day moving average is $72.09.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. Masco's revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.93 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Masco will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This represents a 8.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Masco by 120.2% during the first quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 381 shares of the construction company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management acquired a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth $29,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company's stock.

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.