Masco (NYSE:MAS) Stock Price Target Raised at Argus

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its target price lifted by Argus from $92.00 to $95.00 in a report released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Argus currently has a buy rating on the construction company’s stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Barclays upped their price objective on Masco from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Masco from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Masco in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $74.00 price target on Masco in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed an “underperform” rating on shares of Masco in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $81.82.

Masco Stock Down 3.4%

MAS opened at $83.89 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $16.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.83. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $72.12 and its 200 day moving average is $71.15. Masco has a fifty-two week low of $58.16 and a fifty-two week high of $87.86.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The construction company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. Masco had a negative return on equity of 1,807.69% and a net margin of 12.07%. Masco’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.97 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 6th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is 27.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other news, VP Kenneth Cole sold 34,470 shares of Masco stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.64, for a total value of $2,779,660.80. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 39,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,201,408. The trade was a 46.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Latitude Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Masco during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Masco in the third quarter worth $36,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Masco in the second quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in Masco during the second quarter worth $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Company Profile

Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS) is a manufacturer of branded home improvement and building products. The company’s portfolio includes faucets, showering and bathing products, architectural coatings, decorative hardware and related products sold to residential and commercial customers.

Masco operates through two principal areas: Plumbing Products and Decorative Architectural Products. Its brands include Delta Faucet, Brizo, Hansgrohe, Behr Paint and Kichler Lighting, among others. These products are distributed through home improvement retailers, specialty dealers, distributors and other channels.

Founded in 1929 by Alex Manoogian, Masco is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, and serves customers primarily in North America and Europe, with products sold in additional international markets.