Argent Trust Co Purchases New Position in Masco Corporation $MAS

Argent Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 28,927 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,036,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Masco by 2.6% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,414 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $724,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at $222,000. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund boosted its holdings in Masco by 15.1% during the 2nd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 22,865 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,472,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors grew its stake in shares of Masco by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 5,952 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $383,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Masco by 81.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 15,364 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $989,000 after acquiring an additional 6,883 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $71.58 on Friday. Masco Corporation has a 52-week low of $56.55 and a 52-week high of $79.19. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $69.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.57. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $14.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Masco’s payout ratio is currently 33.25%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco 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 value of $53,724.24. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,510 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $899,719.20. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Masco from $71.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore set a $78.00 target price on Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Argus decreased their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $76.94.

Masco 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.