Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) Short Interest Update

Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 8,998,334 shares, an increase of 23.9% from the March 15th total of 7,261,485 shares. Currently, 4.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 2,742,284 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $53,724.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $899,719.20. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Masco

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $194,818,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Masco during the third quarter worth $192,948,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its stake in Masco by 443.6% during the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 2,330,523 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $164,046,000 after buying an additional 1,901,815 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Masco by 32.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,085,602 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $357,976,000 after buying an additional 1,240,322 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Masco by 234.5% during the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,624,841 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $103,112,000 after buying an additional 1,139,098 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MAS traded up $0.57 during trading on Thursday, reaching $63.74. The stock had a trading volume of 2,831,503 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,617,617. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.81. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $66.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.98. The stock has a market cap of $12.93 billion, a PE ratio of 16.56, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.29. Masco has a 1-year low of $56.55 and a 1-year high of $79.19.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 856.70% and a net margin of 10.71%.The business’s revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Masco will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.25%.

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Tuesday, February 10th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the construction company to purchase up to 13.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore upgraded Masco from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Zelman & Associates cut shares of Masco to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $75.93.

Masco Company Profile

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, the company has evolved from a small door‐bell manufacturer into a diversified enterprise serving both residential and commercial markets. Over its history, Masco has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions, building a portfolio of well-recognized brands.

The company’s product offerings are organized into two primary segments.