Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Masco (NYSE:MAS) Stock Price

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) had its price target reduced by Wells Fargo & Company from $82.00 to $65.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the construction company's stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on MAS. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Masco from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $89.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Masco in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $71.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised Masco to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $83.37.

Masco Stock Performance

MAS stock traded up $0.68 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $61.56. 1,742,381 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,705,715. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a market cap of $13.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.37, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. Masco has a 52-week low of $57.27 and a 52-week high of $86.70. The stock's 50-day moving average is $69.93 and its 200 day moving average is $75.78.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 in the prior year, the business earned $0.83 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Masco will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a $0.31 dividend. This is a positive change from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.98%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. The trade was a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Clarius Group LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth $382,000. Sowell Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the first quarter valued at approximately $420,000. Montecito Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Masco by 2.0% in the first quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 13,293 shares of the construction company's stock worth $924,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its holdings in Masco by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 2,707 shares of the construction company's stock worth $188,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the period. Finally, Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Masco by 16.5% in the first quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 255,269 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $17,751,000 after acquiring an additional 36,149 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently 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.