Stifel Financial Corp Raises Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Stifel Financial Corp lifted its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 265,915 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,901 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp’s holdings in Masco were worth $19,297,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Masco in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Masco by 89.0% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $60.41 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.75. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $56.55 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.79 billion, a PE ratio of 16.07, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. On average, analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.31 dividend. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total transaction of $1,658,768.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Zelman & Associates upgraded Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Loop Capital set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Masco and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $73.10.

Masco Company Profile

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.