Ritholtz Wealth Management Raises Holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 7.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 40,262 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,949 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Masco were worth $2,922,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Masco by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,463 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in Masco by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 38,556 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,798,000 after purchasing an additional 7,242 shares in the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Masco by 13.0% during the fourth quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC lifted its position in Masco by 133.5% during the fourth quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 29,435 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,136,000 after purchasing an additional 16,830 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tealwood Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Masco by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,921 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,301,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Masco Trading Up 1.0 %

MAS stock opened at $78.29 on Friday. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $76.79 and its 200 day moving average is $77.54. The company has a market capitalization of $16.89 billion, a PE ratio of 20.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. The business had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.00 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. Masco’s payout ratio is 30.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on MAS shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $85.00 target price (down previously from $92.00) on shares of Masco in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. StockNews.com downgraded Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Finally, Citigroup cut 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 analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $86.27.

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.