Russell Investments Group Ltd. Raises Position in Masco Corporation $MAS

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 163.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 661,494 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 410,471 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Masco were worth $46,562,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 9,324 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $656,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Masco by 262.2% in the third quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 47,351 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,333,000 after acquiring an additional 34,279 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its stake in shares of Masco by 4.2% during the third quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG now owns 9,030 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $636,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the third quarter worth $948,000. Finally, Vinva Investment Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the third quarter worth $24,861,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Stock Down 1.5%

MAS stock opened at $62.49 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.75. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $69.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.12. The company has a market capitalization of $12.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.23, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.27. Masco Corporation has a twelve month low of $56.55 and a twelve month high of $79.19.

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

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

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.25%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In related news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of Masco 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 12,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $899,719.20. This trade represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MAS. Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 price target on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Masco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective 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. Zelman & Associates downgraded Masco to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $76.94.

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.