Masco gains after annual profit forecast raise
** Shares of US home improvement firm Masco MAS.N up 3% at $77.45
** Expect annual adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $4.65 to $4.75, compared with $4.40 to $4.60 earlier
** Reports quarterly sales of $1.97 billion vs estimates of $1.93 billion - data compiled by LSEG
** Posts Q3 adjusted EPS of $1.19, beating expectations of $1.03
** "While we expect the demand environment to remain challenged in the near term, the long-term fundamentals of the repair and remodel market remain strong, " says CEO Jon Nudi
** As of last close, stock up ~26% YTD