Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Sells 5,813 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. cut its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 151,700 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 5,813 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $11,009,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its position in shares of Masco by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 88,278 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,406,000 after acquiring an additional 1,900 shares in the last quarter. Sitrin Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Sitrin Capital Management LLC now owns 88,445 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,418,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Advisor OS LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $367,000. Exchange Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Masco by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Capital Management Inc. now owns 15,252 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,107,000 after buying an additional 389 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Masco in the 4th quarter valued at $664,000. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $74.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.83 billion, a PE ratio of 19.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $76.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.79. Masco Co. has a 52-week low of $63.81 and a 52-week high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.83 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Masco’s payout ratio is 32.98%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their target price on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $96.00 to $89.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus 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.