Masco (NYSE:MAS) Rating Increased to Outperform at Evercore

Evercore upgraded shares of Masco (NYSE:MAS) from an in-line rating to an outperform rating in a report published on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Evercore currently has $78.00 target price on the construction company’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $71.00 to $65.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Masco to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $75.93.

Masco Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:MAS opened at $64.27 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75. Masco has a 12 month low of $56.55 and a 12 month high of $79.19. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $66.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.04. The company has a market cap of $13.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.69, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.29.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.04. Masco had a net margin of 10.71% and a return on equity of 856.70%. The firm had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Masco will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is 33.25%.

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

Insider Activity at Masco

In other news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $899,719.20. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAS. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $194,818,000. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in Masco during the third quarter valued at approximately $192,948,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its holdings in Masco by 443.6% during the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 2,330,523 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $164,046,000 after buying an additional 1,901,815 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Masco by 32.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,085,602 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $357,976,000 after buying an additional 1,240,322 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Masco by 234.5% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,624,841 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $103,112,000 after buying an additional 1,139,098 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Company Profile

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.