Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Sold by Systematic Financial Management LP

Systematic Financial Management LP trimmed its holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 1.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,725 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 415 shares during the quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP’s holdings in Masco were worth $2,248,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Masco in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 62.4% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Masco in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its stake in Masco by 46.0% in the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on MAS. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective 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. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.58.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total transaction of $2,961,592.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,896,273.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Masco Price Performance

Masco stock opened at $83.57 on Monday. Masco Co. has a 52 week low of $47.66 and a 52 week high of $84.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $77.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $73.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.41 billion, a PE ratio of 20.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company 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. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.39%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.43%.

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.