V Square Quantitative Management LLC Buys 1,021 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 18.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 6,629 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,021 shares during the quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Union Savings Bank increased its holdings in Masco by 91.7% during the 4th quarter. Union Savings Bank now owns 575 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC purchased a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its position in Masco by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwest Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $69,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of Masco stock opened at $69.14 on Monday. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $47.66 and a 1 year high of $78.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $70.32 and its 200 day moving average is $70.54. The stock has a market cap of $15.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.95, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.76, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.94 billion. Masco had a net margin of 11.60% and a return on equity of 865.37%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 24th were issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 23rd. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on MAS. StockNews.com lowered Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Masco from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $72.15.

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.