Andra AP fonden Has $15.14 Million Stock Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Andra AP fonden boosted its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 208,600 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,600 shares during the quarter. Andra AP fonden’s holdings in Masco were worth $15,138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new position in Masco in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,081,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Masco by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 50,388 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,657,000 after purchasing an additional 3,611 shares in the last quarter. Inceptionr LLC acquired a new position in Masco in the fourth quarter valued at about $828,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Masco in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,157,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in Masco by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 63,391 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,600,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on MAS shares. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $96.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $74.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.32.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $75.25 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $76.11 and its 200-day moving average is $78.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a market cap of $15.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 1-year low of $63.81 and a 1-year high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.83 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other Masco news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.