Mather Group LLC. Boosts Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 37.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,489 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 683 shares during the quarter. Mather Group LLC.’s holdings in Masco were worth $209,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Masco by 62.4% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC increased its holdings in Masco by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 5,513 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $435,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Masco by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,127 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Masco by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 14,846 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,246,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, BOKF NA boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. BOKF NA now owns 6,178 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $480,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MAS. Citigroup decreased 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. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Masco from $89.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their target price on Masco from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $80.58.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $83.49 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.76. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $79.33 and a 200 day moving average of $73.87. The firm has a market cap of $18.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a one year low of $47.66 and a one year high of $84.69.

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

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Masco news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total value of $2,961,592.48. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is 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.