Plato Investment Management Ltd Acquires Shares of 8,410 Masco Corporation $MAS

Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 8,410 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $680,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in Masco during the second quarter worth $32,000. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 2,550.0% in the fourth quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 424 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 114.5% in the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 549 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Performance

MAS opened at $73.39 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $76.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $70.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $14.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.30. Masco Corporation has a 1-year low of $58.16 and a 1-year high of $83.64.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.32. Masco had a return on equity of 2,379.08% and a net margin of 11.61%.The company had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.600 EPS. Research analysts predict that Masco Corporation will post 4.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 7th that allows the company to repurchase $300.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Monday, August 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 24th. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 29.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on MAS shares. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $79.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Masco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Masco from $97.00 to $94.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $79.87.

About Masco

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.