Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,770,000 shares, an increase of 11.8% from the August 15th total of 5,160,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,920,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Currently, 2.6% of the company's stock are short sold. Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.02, for a total value of $520,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 288,295 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,997,105.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Masco

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Masco by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,196,279 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $84,003,000 after purchasing an additional 24,332 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter worth $10,610,000. Level Four Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter valued at $211,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Masco by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,403,661 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $308,386,000 after purchasing an additional 100,336 shares during the period. Finally, KRS Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter valued at $572,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.59% of the company's stock. Masco Stock Performance

MAS traded up $0.63 during trading on Monday, hitting $49.40. 1,431,744 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,244,556. The firm has a market cap of $11.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 52.66. Masco has a one year low of $46.27 and a one year high of $71.06. The stock's fifty day moving average is $52.93 and its 200 day moving average is $53.06.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 28th. The construction company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.05). Masco had a net margin of 9.83% and a negative return on equity of 686.15%. The company had revenue of $2.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.36 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Masco will post 4.17 EPS for the current fiscal year. Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 11th. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.27%. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.11%. Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays cut their target price on Masco from $68.00 to $66.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Masco from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Masco from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 1st. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Masco from $81.00 to $76.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Masco in a report on Wednesday, August 17th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $61.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.93.About Masco (Get Rating)

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.Featured ArticlesGet a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Masco (MAS)Still Lovin' It: Investors Keep Visiting McDonald'sDid FedEx Just Deliver A Buying Opportunity? Autozone Shifts Back Into Rally-Mode, New Highs Are In SightUpwork Shares Stumble into Bargain Territory Kroger’s is Your One-Stop Consumer Staples Stock

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Before you consider Masco, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Masco wasn't on the list.

While Masco currently has a "Hold" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

Complete the form below to receive the latest headlines and analysts' recommendations for your stocks with our free daily email newsletter:

ETF portfolio manager, Dave Gilreath offers a perspective on “dividend achievers” and why these deserve a role in your portfolio

Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

View the latest news, buy/sell ratings, SEC filings and insider transactions for your stocks. Compare your portfolio performance to leading indices and get personalized stock ideas based on your portfolio.

Get daily stock ideas from top-performing Wall Street analysts. Get short term trading ideas from the MarketBeat Idea Engine. View which stocks are hot on social media with MarketBeat's trending stocks report.

Identify stocks that meet your criteria using seven unique stock screeners. See what's happening in the market right now with MarketBeat's real-time news feed. Export data to Excel for your own analysis.

MarketBeat All Access subscribers can access stock screeners, the Idea Engine, data export tools, research reports, and other premium tools.

Looking for new stock ideas? Want to see which stocks are moving? View our full suite of financial calendars and market data tables, all for free.

Receive a free world-class investing education from MarketBeat. Learn about financial terms, types of investments, trading strategies and more.

MarketBeat empowers individual investors to make better trading decisions by providing real-time financial data and objective market analysis. Whether you’re looking for analyst ratings, corporate buybacks, dividends, earnings, economic reports, financials, insider trades, IPOs, SEC filings or stock splits, MarketBeat has the objective information you need to analyze any stock. Learn more about MarketBeat.

Twitter Facebook StockTwits Financial Juice YouTube

© American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat® 2010-2022. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Information | RSS Feeds

© 2022 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see Barchart's disclaimer.