Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) CEO Sells $1,658,768.28 in Stock

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Masco Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:MAS opened at $75.10 on Friday. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $63.81 and a twelve month high of $86.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $76.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.81. The company has a market cap of $15.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.83 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MAS. UBS Group lowered their price target on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $96.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.32.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 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.