Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 12,500 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its position in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 50.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 12,500 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 12,500 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $755,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of Masco by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,414 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $724,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the period. CW Advisors LLC bought a new position in Masco during the second quarter worth about $238,000. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in shares of Masco by 14.8% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 25,555 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,645,000 after purchasing an additional 3,294 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter valued at approximately $415,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Masco by 4.6% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 31,832 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,049,000 after purchasing an additional 1,413 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Masco from $69.00 to $61.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Barclays increased their target price on Masco from $65.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Masco from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Masco from $79.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $79.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $80.07.

Masco Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of MAS stock opened at $76.22 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.75. Masco Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.16 and a 52-week high of $83.21. The company has a market capitalization of $15.38 billion, a PE ratio of 18.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.29. The business’s fifty day moving average is $72.87 and its 200 day moving average is $69.17.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.07 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 815.20% and a net margin of 10.90%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Masco Corporation will post 4.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.76%.

Masco declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.