Everence Capital Management Inc. Sells 3,040 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Everence Capital Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 51.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,840 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 3,040 shares during the quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Masco by 20.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 331,883 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,147,000 after purchasing an additional 56,626 shares in the last quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Masco by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 540,437 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $45,364,000 after acquiring an additional 96,415 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in Masco by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 465,033 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $30,932,000 after acquiring an additional 48,379 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Masco by 14.7% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 142,443 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $9,497,000 after purchasing an additional 18,287 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in shares of Masco by 22.7% in the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 62,323 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,033,000 after purchasing an additional 11,525 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Price Performance

NYSE MAS opened at $72.42 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.81 and a 12 month high of $86.70. The stock has a market cap of $15.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.26, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50 day moving average is $77.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.18.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. Masco’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.00 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 25th. Investors of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.60%. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Masco from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Masco from $80.00 to $83.50 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Masco from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $79.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $86.79.

Masco Company 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.