Brokerages Set Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Target Price at $85.96

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $85.96.

Several research firms have weighed in on MAS. Loop Capital boosted their price target on Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, 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 report on Monday, October 7th.

Masco Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of MAS stock opened at $79.01 on Wednesday. Masco has a 1-year low of $58.91 and a 1-year high of $86.70. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $81.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The company has a market cap of $17.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.08. The business had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.00 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Masco will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 8th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.85%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 50.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MAS. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in Masco in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in Masco by 46.0% during the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Masco in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 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.