Quest Partners LLC Has $967,000 Holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Quest Partners LLC trimmed its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 42.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,502 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 10,856 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $967,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in Masco during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Masco by 62.4% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Masco during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new stake in Masco during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Masco by 4,545.5% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $78.33 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.82. The firm has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a PE ratio of 19.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $47.66 and a 1 year high of $81.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MAS. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.58.

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.