BMO Capital Markets Increases Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target to $85.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its target price lifted by BMO Capital Markets from $78.00 to $85.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the construction company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on MAS. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Masco from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Barclays upped their target price on Masco from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Masco from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.75.

Masco Trading Down 2.0 %

Shares of MAS stock opened at $81.26 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $74.31. Masco has a 1 year low of $49.24 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18. The stock has a market cap of $17.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 602.39% and a net margin of 11.59%. Masco’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Masco will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total transaction of $2,961,592.48. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Masco by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 5,513 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $435,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in Masco in the first quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Signet Financial Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Signet Financial Management LLC now owns 51,683 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,077,000 after buying an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 1st quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Vicus Capital raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 62.3% in the 1st quarter. Vicus Capital now owns 6,921 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $546,000 after acquiring an additional 2,656 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

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.