Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 10,000 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. cut its stake in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 16.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 50,000 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $3,520,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MAS. Rovin Capital UT ADV acquired a new position in Masco in the third quarter valued at about $336,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Masco by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 73,715 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,189,000 after buying an additional 4,857 shares during the period. Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Masco by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. now owns 44,984 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,166,000 after buying an additional 2,076 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 62.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 7,130 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $502,000 after acquiring an additional 2,753 shares during the period. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 20.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 27,485 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,935,000 after acquiring an additional 4,620 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Trading Down 1.0%

NYSE MAS opened at $70.49 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.53. Masco Corporation has a twelve month low of $56.55 and a twelve month high of $82.18. The company has a market cap of $14.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.28. The business’s fifty day moving average is $64.25 and its 200 day moving average is $67.62.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 1,317.38% and a net margin of 10.89%.Masco’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. Masco has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.900-3.95 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 24th. Investors of record on Friday, November 7th were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Vertical Research began coverage on Masco in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. UBS Group lowered their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $84.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $71.00 price objective (down from $76.00) on shares of Masco in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Masco from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six 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.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.20.

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.