Kestra Investment Management LLC Acquires New Shares in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 414 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $30,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MAS. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in shares of Masco by 21.0% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,997,839 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $218,063,000 after buying an additional 520,555 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Masco by 91.6% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 708,830 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $51,440,000 after acquiring an additional 338,925 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Masco by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,250,400 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $235,881,000 after acquiring an additional 299,520 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Masco by 49.2% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 883,859 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $74,192,000 after acquiring an additional 291,658 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its holdings in Masco by 4,028.2% in the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 200,795 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $16,855,000 after acquiring an additional 195,931 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Trading Down 1.9 %

MAS opened at $74.82 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The firm has a market cap of $15.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $76.13 and a 200 day moving average of $78.76.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MAS shares. StockNews.com downgraded Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Zelman & Associates raised Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Masco from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised shares of Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $86.32.

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.