Masco (NYSE:MAS) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

Masco (NYSE:MAS) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $85.96.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $78.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.83. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $81.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.19. Masco has a fifty-two week low of $58.89 and a fifty-two week high of $86.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.92 billion, a PE ratio of 20.86, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.00 earnings per share. Masco’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Masco will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total transaction of $2,961,592.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Masco by 2.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,300,591 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,074,591,000 after buying an additional 721,117 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Masco by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,294,294 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $864,103,000 after purchasing an additional 194,297 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Masco by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,830,723 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $655,414,000 after purchasing an additional 181,515 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Masco by 0.9% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,950,880 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $241,825,000 after purchasing an additional 26,259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its holdings in Masco by 10.0% in the second quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,855,056 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $190,347,000 after purchasing an additional 259,205 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

About Masco

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.