Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target Increased to $96.00 by Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price target increased by Jefferies Financial Group from $89.00 to $96.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the construction company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup cut their price objective on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com cut Masco from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $80.58.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $83.98 on Wednesday. Masco has a 12-month low of $47.66 and a 12-month high of $84.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.50 billion, a PE ratio of 20.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $79.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $73.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a return on equity of 602.39% and a net margin of 11.59%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Masco will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.38%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 28.43%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In related news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total value of $2,961,592.48. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,273.60. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 62.4% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Masco during the second quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Masco by 4,545.5% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.