Barclays Trims Masco (NYSE:MAS) Target Price to $79.00

Masco (NYSE:MAS) had its price target decreased by Barclays from $87.00 to $79.00 in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the construction company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on MAS. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on Masco from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Masco from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Loop Capital dropped their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $71.46.

Masco Stock Up 2.2 %

Masco stock opened at $70.73 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $15.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.34, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.24. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $70.81. Masco has a 12 month low of $47.66 and a 12 month high of $78.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.76.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.93 billion during 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 company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Masco will post 4.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 24th were given a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Masco

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 2.8% in the third quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 6,619 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $354,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the third quarter worth about $1,069,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.2% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,787,414 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,378,337,000 after purchasing an additional 298,116 shares during the last quarter. FCF Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter worth about $1,464,000. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 9,753 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $653,000 after purchasing an additional 547 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.