Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target Cut to $66.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price target decreased by stock analysts at Citigroup from $73.00 to $66.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the construction company’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential downside of 4.83% from the company’s previous close.

MAS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. StockNews.com cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.15.

Masco Stock Up 4.8 %

MAS traded up $3.20 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $69.35. 1,928,779 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,924,254. Masco has a 12-month low of $47.66 and a 12-month high of $78.94. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $68.32 and a 200 day moving average of $70.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.76. The firm has a market cap of $15.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.06. Masco had a net margin of 11.60% and a return on equity of 865.37%. The business had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Masco will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Masco by 62.4% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Masco by 2.5% during the first quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 5,513 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $435,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. BOKF NA raised its stake in shares of Masco by 2.5% during the first quarter. BOKF NA now owns 6,178 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in shares of Masco by 1.8% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 9,516 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $751,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patten & Patten Inc. TN increased its stake in shares of Masco by 1.6% in the first quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 10,618 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $838,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.