Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Sold by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 29.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 646,326 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 276,240 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $46,904,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Masco in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco during the third quarter worth $43,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.32.

Masco Price Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $75.25 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $76.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.76. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70. The firm has a market cap of $15.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.83 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other 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 transaction of $1,658,768.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Masco

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.