Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Purchases 3,044 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 32.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 12,356 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 3,044 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC’s holdings in Masco were worth $897,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on MAS shares. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Masco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $71.00 target price on the stock. 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $73.10.

Masco Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:MAS opened at $60.41 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $12.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $75.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco Co. has a 12-month low of $56.55 and a 12-month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.05). Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. The company had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.31 dividend. This is a positive change from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.05%. Masco’s payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In other Masco news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of Masco 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at $2,370,678.06. The trade was a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.