Barclays PLC Has $29.40 Million Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Barclays PLC reduced its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 54.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 405,175 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 478,684 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned about 0.19% of Masco worth $29,402,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in Masco in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in Masco by 26.7% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 703 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Masco news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This represents a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Masco Trading Up 1.1 %

MAS opened at $61.56 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $13.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $69.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $75.78. 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 Co. has a 1-year low of $57.27 and a 1-year high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.83 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAS has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer upgraded Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Masco in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $71.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $65.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $83.37.

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.