AXQ Capital LP Invests $1.06 Million in Masco Corporation $MAS

AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 16,659 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,057,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in shares of Masco by 2.6% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 10,414 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $724,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. CW Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth $238,000. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in shares of Masco by 14.8% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 25,555 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,645,000 after buying an additional 3,294 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth $415,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Masco by 4.6% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 31,832 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,049,000 after buying an additional 1,413 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Stock Performance

Masco stock opened at $68.98 on Wednesday. Masco Corporation has a twelve month low of $58.16 and a twelve month high of $79.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07. The company has a market capitalization of $13.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.31. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $66.23 and its 200 day moving average is $66.52.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.16. Masco had a return on equity of 815.20% and a net margin of 10.90%.The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.87 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Masco Corporation will post 4.25 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 buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.76%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MAS shares. Evercore raised shares of Masco from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $88.00 price objective on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Masco from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Masco from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Masco from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $80.07.

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.