Insider Selling: Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) CEO Sells 21,723 Shares of Stock

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS traded down $1.33 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $74.70. The stock had a trading volume of 1,159,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,452,822. The business has a fifty day moving average of $76.09 and a 200 day moving average of $78.82. 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 firm has a market cap of $15.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.87, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.83 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.98%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Masco in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Masco in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Masco in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised shares of Masco from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $89.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.32.

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.

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