Masco (NYSE:MAS) Given “Sector Perform” Rating at Royal Bank of Canada

Masco (NYSE:MAS)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating reaffirmed by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $74.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock. Royal Bank of Canada’s target price would indicate a potential downside of 4.73% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on MAS. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $96.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised shares of Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.32.

Masco Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $77.68 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.83. Masco has a 52-week low of $63.81 and a 52-week high of $86.70. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $76.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $78.70. The stock has a market cap of $16.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.25.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 6.7% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,031 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $170,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 0.3% in the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 44,940 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,756,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.9% in the third quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 7,031 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 901 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. raised its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 8,089 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $587,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by 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.