Masco (NYSE:MAS) Hits New 52-Week High at $78.95

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $78.95 and last traded at $78.87, with a volume of 469321 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $77.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. StockNews.com cut Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Loop Capital decreased their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.77.

Masco Stock Up 1.4 %

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $71.37. The company has a market capitalization of $17.19 billion, a PE ratio of 19.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The business had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.08 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.47%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.43%.

Institutional Trading of Masco

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Masco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $627,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth $122,144,000. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth $975,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp boosted its position in Masco by 14.3% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 542,096 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $42,245,000 after purchasing an additional 67,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Masco in the first quarter valued at about $1,903,000. 93.91% of the stock is 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.