Comerica Bank Sells 13,026 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Comerica Bank cut its holdings in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 12.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 88,266 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 13,026 shares during the period. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Masco were worth $5,601,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Masco by 2.6% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,414 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $724,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. CW Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $238,000. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 25,555 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,645,000 after acquiring an additional 3,294 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in shares of Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $415,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 31,832 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,049,000 after acquiring an additional 1,413 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Masco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Masco from $67.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Citigroup dropped their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $79.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Zelman & Associates cut Masco to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $80.07.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total value of $53,724.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares in the company, valued at $899,719.20. This represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE MAS opened at $71.90 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.84, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.29. Masco Corporation has a twelve month low of $58.16 and a twelve month high of $79.19. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.07 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 815.20% and a net margin of 10.90%.Masco’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.25 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.76%.

Masco announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.