Robert W. Baird Cuts Masco (NYSE:MAS) Price Target to $94.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price objective lowered by Robert W. Baird from $95.00 to $94.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the construction company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on Masco from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Masco from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 21st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $84.85.

Masco Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of MAS opened at $80.18 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The firm has a market cap of $17.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $81.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.53. Masco has a 12-month low of $53.44 and a 12-month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.08. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. The firm had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.00 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 25th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.45%. Masco’s payout ratio is currently 30.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 86.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 673 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $230,000. Atria Investments Inc lifted its stake in Masco by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 77,812 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,532,000 after buying an additional 6,483 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in Masco by 139.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 736 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pegasus Partners Ltd. purchased a new position in Masco during the third quarter worth $209,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently 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.