Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Buys 3,019 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 16,641 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,019 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $1,109,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in Masco during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 62.4% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Masco by 4,545.5% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in Masco during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $77.24 on Friday. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $47.66 and a 1 year high of $81.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $73.69 and a 200 day moving average of $72.76. The stock has a market cap of $17.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.24.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.58.

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.