Fayez Sarofim & Co Buys 1,051 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Fayez Sarofim & Co grew its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 4.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,901 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Fayez Sarofim & Co’s holdings in Masco were worth $1,807,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Masco by 89.0% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS stock opened at $60.06 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a market cap of $12.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. The business’s fifty day moving average is $69.60 and its 200 day moving average is $75.52. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $57.27 and a twelve month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 last year, the business posted $0.83 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. This is an increase from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Masco in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $71.00 price target for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Masco from $87.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Ten investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average 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.