Equitable Trust Co. Boosts Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Equitable Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 8,089 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the quarter. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in Masco were worth $587,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Masco in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco during the third quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Masco by 59.4% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 596 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:MAS opened at $78.76 on Wednesday. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $63.81 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.95, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.25.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Masco from $93.00 to $84.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Masco has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $86.04.

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.