Ballentine Partners LLC Raises Holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Ballentine Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,748 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $383,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in Masco by 12,355.4% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 15,071 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,009,000 after purchasing an additional 14,950 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $320,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Masco by 89.8% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 220,924 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $14,797,000 after buying an additional 104,518 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Masco by 10.3% during the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 14,579 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $977,000 after buying an additional 1,357 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Masco by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 290,064 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $18,642,000 after acquiring an additional 32,913 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $78.33 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.10 billion, a PE ratio of 19.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.24. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $74.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.82. Masco Co. has a 1-year low of $47.66 and a 1-year high of $81.91.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 EPS. Masco’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Investors of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Masco from $81.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays raised 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. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.58.

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.