New England Research & Management Inc. Increases Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

New England Research & Management Inc. grew its holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 141.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 25,275 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,825 shares during the period. New England Research & Management Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $2,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in Masco during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in Masco during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Masco by 4,545.5% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Stock Up 0.6 %

MAS stock traded up $0.46 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $82.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,003,446 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,842,340. Masco Co. has a 52-week low of $47.66 and a 52-week high of $84.69. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $73.63. 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 has a market capitalization of $18.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.30, a PEG 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. Masco had a return on equity of 602.39% and a net margin of 11.59%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. Masco’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Investors of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 36,980 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,273.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MAS. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Masco from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup lowered their price target on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 11th. 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 report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.42.

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.