Montag A & Associates Inc. Trims Stock Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Montag A & Associates Inc. trimmed its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 64,293 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,188 shares during the period. Montag A & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $4,666,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MAS. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in Masco during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Masco by 59.4% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 596 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MAS shares. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Masco from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.32.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $78.42 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco Co. has a fifty-two week low of $63.81 and a fifty-two week high of $86.70. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $76.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.70. The stock has a market cap of $16.92 billion, a PE ratio of 20.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.25.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.83 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

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.