Westpac Banking Corp Cuts Position in Masco Corporation $MAS

Westpac Banking Corp reduced its stake in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 94.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,001 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 18,630 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Masco were worth $70,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rossby Financial LCC boosted its stake in Masco by 134.2% in 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 during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Headlands Technologies LLC raised its position in Masco by 114.5% in the 2nd quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 549 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Caldwell Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Masco during the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC 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 MAS stock opened at $71.58 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $14.57 billion, a PE ratio of 18.59, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.28. 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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $69.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.59. Masco Corporation has a 12-month low of $56.55 and a 12-month high of $79.19.

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

Masco announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Masco Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $899,719.20. This represents a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on MAS shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Masco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Argus reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Barclays reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $71.00 price target (down from $76.00) on shares of Masco in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Zelman & Associates cut shares of Masco to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently 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.