Van Cleef Asset Management Inc Takes Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Van Cleef Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 3,140 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $228,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Masco during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Trading Down 1.8 %

Shares of MAS stock opened at $74.70 on Friday. 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 $15.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.87, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $76.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $78.79. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $63.81 and a twelve month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly 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 previous year, the firm earned $0.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $96.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Oppenheimer raised Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. StockNews.com cut Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $86.32.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 value of $1,658,768.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Masco

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.