Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target Raised to $80.00 at Royal Bank of Canada

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price target raised by Royal Bank of Canada from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the construction company’s stock.

MAS has been the topic of several other reports. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Masco from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Masco from $65.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Masco from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, April 5th. StockNews.com downgraded Masco from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Masco in a research note on Friday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $71.07.

Masco Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of Masco stock traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $69.96. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 916,918 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,067,061. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.76, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.74. Masco has a twelve month low of $47.66 and a twelve month high of $78.94. The stock has a market cap of $15.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.25. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $75.23 and a 200-day moving average of $66.76.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 865.37% and a net margin of 11.60%. The firm’s revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.87 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd were issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 21st. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, VP Richard Allan Marshall sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.05, for a total value of $385,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 10,465 shares in the company, valued at $806,328.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $2,703,076.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 58,885 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,395,765.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Richard Allan Marshall sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.05, for a total value of $385,250.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,328.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 83,762 shares of company stock worth $6,337,597. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Masco by 62.4% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Masco by 70.1% in the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 432 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the period. Center for Financial Planning Inc. boosted its position in shares of Masco by 270.6% in the third quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 667 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 487 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank boosted its position in shares of Masco by 91.7% in the fourth quarter. Union Savings Bank now owns 575 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the period. 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.