Earnest Partners LLC Sells 46,049 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Earnest Partners LLC lessened its holdings in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 2.0% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,261,701 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 46,049 shares during the quarter. Earnest Partners LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $159,201,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rossby Financial LCC increased its holdings in Masco by 134.2% during the 3rd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 370 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in shares of Masco in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Masco by 114.5% during the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 549 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Masco during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of Masco stock opened at $61.51 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $69.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75. Masco Corporation has a 12 month low of $56.55 and a 12 month high of $79.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.27.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 856.70% and a net margin of 10.71%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 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 dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is 33.25%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Masco in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Masco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $88.00 target price on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Masco to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $76.94.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of Masco stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were 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 approximately $899,719.20. The trade was a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.