Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target to $70.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price objective dropped by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $70.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the construction company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price points to a potential upside of 10.25% from the stock’s previous close.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Masco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Masco to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $75.93.

Masco Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE:MAS opened at $63.49 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $12.88 billion, a PE ratio of 16.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.29. Masco has a twelve month low of $56.55 and a twelve month high of $79.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75. The company’s 50 day moving average is $66.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.21.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.71% and a return on equity of 856.70%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Masco will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 10th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $53,724.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $899,719.20. This represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Masco

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp raised its position in Masco by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,235,505 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $649,545,000 after acquiring an additional 60,430 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Masco by 19.2% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,063,286 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $384,776,000 after acquiring an additional 977,684 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its position in Masco by 1.0% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,850,170 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $411,832,000 after acquiring an additional 58,609 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP raised its position in Masco by 48.6% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 5,001,386 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $321,889,000 after acquiring an additional 1,635,746 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Masco by 76.1% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,826,584 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $306,295,000 after acquiring an additional 2,085,454 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Masco

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, the company has evolved from a small door‐bell manufacturer into a diversified enterprise serving both residential and commercial markets. Over its history, Masco has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions, building a portfolio of well-recognized brands.

The company’s product offerings are organized into two primary segments.