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Is Masco Corporation (MAS) a Suitable Value Investor Pick?
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Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Masco Corporation’s (MAS - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Masco Corporation has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.79, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 18.66. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Masco Corporation’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint (which is 21.31) over the past five years.
Moreover, the stock’s PE also compares unfavorably with the Zacks Construction sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.76. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Masco Corporation has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 17.41, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Masco Corporation’s stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Masco Corporation has a P/S ratio of about 1.9. This substantially is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.23 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Masco Corporation currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Masco Corporation a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Masco Corporation might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of B and Momentum Score of F. This gives MAS a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of C. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed, at the best. The current year estimate witnessed one upward revision in the past sixty days compared to six downward revisions, while the full-year 2021 estimate witnessed two upward revisions compared to one downward revision in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current year consensus estimate declined 4.61% in the past two months, whereas the full-year 2021 estimate increased 0.4%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Owing to such bearish estimate trends, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Masco Corporation is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the sector has clearly underperformed the market at large, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates, analyst sentiment and broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Free: Zacks’ Single Best Stock Set to Double
Today you are invited to download our latest Special Report that reveals 5 stocks with the most potential to gain +100% or more in 2020. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This pioneering tech ticker had soared to all-time highs and then subsided to a price that is irresistible. Now a pending acquisition could super-charge the company’s drive past competitors in the development of true Artificial Intelligence. The earlier you get in to this stock, the greater your potential gain.
Image: Bigstock
Is Masco Corporation (MAS) a Suitable Value Investor Pick?
Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?
One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Masco Corporation’s (MAS - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:
PE Ratio
A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.
On this front, Masco Corporation has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 17.79, as you can see in the chart below:
This level actually compares favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 18.66. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Masco Corporation’s current PE level puts it below its midpoint (which is 21.31) over the past five years.
Moreover, the stock’s PE also compares unfavorably with the Zacks Construction sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 16.76. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively overvalued right now, compared to its peers.
We should also point out that Masco Corporation has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of 17.41, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Masco Corporation’s stock in the near term too.
P/S Ratio
Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.
Right now, Masco Corporation has a P/S ratio of about 1.9. This substantially is lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.23 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this is somewhat below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.
Broad Value Outlook
In aggregate, Masco Corporation currently has a Value Score of B, putting it into the top 40% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Masco Corporation a solid choice for value investors, and some of its other key metrics make this pretty clear too.
What About the Stock Overall?
Though Masco Corporation might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth Score of B and Momentum Score of F. This gives MAS a Zacks VGM score — or its overarching fundamental grade — of C. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)
Meanwhile, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been mixed, at the best. The current year estimate witnessed one upward revision in the past sixty days compared to six downward revisions, while the full-year 2021 estimate witnessed two upward revisions compared to one downward revision in the same time period.
This has had a noticeable impact on the consensus estimate, as the current year consensus estimate declined 4.61% in the past two months, whereas the full-year 2021 estimate increased 0.4%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:
Masco Corporation Price and Consensus
Masco Corporation price-consensus-chart | Masco Corporation Quote
Owing to such bearish estimate trends, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which is why we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.
Bottom Line
Masco Corporation is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the sector has clearly underperformed the market at large, as you can see below:
So, value investors might want to wait for estimates, analyst sentiment and broader factors to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.
Free: Zacks’ Single Best Stock Set to Double
Today you are invited to download our latest Special Report that reveals 5 stocks with the most potential to gain +100% or more in 2020. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This pioneering tech ticker had soared to all-time highs and then subsided to a price that is irresistible. Now a pending acquisition could super-charge the company’s drive past competitors in the development of true Artificial Intelligence. The earlier you get in to this stock, the greater your potential gain.
See 5 Stocks Set to Double>>