Advocate Group LLC Decreases Stock Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Advocate Group LLC cut its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 21.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,501 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 2,822 shares during the quarter. Advocate Group LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $762,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Montecito Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Masco by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 13,037 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $946,000 after purchasing an additional 1,259 shares during the period. Secure Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Masco by 11.9% in the fourth quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 6,134 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $445,000 after purchasing an additional 651 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in Masco by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 11,654 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $846,000 after acquiring an additional 634 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Masco by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 28,191 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,046,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atomi Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Masco by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 11,022 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 579 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Loop Capital increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Masco from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $96.00 to $89.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $86.27.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $79.26 on Friday. Masco Co. has a one year low of $63.81 and a one year high of $86.70. The company has a 50-day moving average of $76.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.03. The stock has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.08, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.08. The firm had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.00 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 8th. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is 30.85%.

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.