Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) CEO Keith J. Allman Sells 21,723 Shares

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Masco Stock Performance

MAS stock opened at $74.70 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.79. The company has a market capitalization of $15.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.87, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco Co. has a fifty-two week low of $63.81 and a fifty-two week high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.83 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.66%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAS has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $74.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Masco has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.32.

Institutional Trading of Masco

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Masco in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in Masco during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Company Profile

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.