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

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Masco (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

MAS has been the topic of a number of other reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Masco from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Masco from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Masco from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $85.96.

Masco Stock Down 1.1 %

MAS traded down $0.88 during trading on Friday, hitting $78.31. 477,264 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,797,200. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $81.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco has a 12-month low of $58.89 and a 12-month high of $86.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.06, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last released its 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 company 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%. Masco's quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.00 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Masco will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total value of $2,961,592.48. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 50.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAS. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in Masco in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position in shares of Masco by 46.0% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 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.