Ritholtz Wealth Management Grows Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 7.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 40,262 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,949 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Masco were worth $2,922,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Masco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Masco in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Masco by 59.4% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 596 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 86.4% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 673 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Stock Up 1.0 %

NYSE MAS opened at $78.29 on Friday. Masco Co. has a 52 week low of $63.81 and a 52 week high of $86.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The company has a market capitalization of $16.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $76.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $77.54.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.00 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on Masco from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and raised their price target for the company from $79.00 to $80.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $96.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $93.00 to $84.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $86.27.

Masco 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.