Ameriprise Financial Inc. Acquires 142,318 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,463,217 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 142,318 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned approximately 1.14% of Masco worth $178,756,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Masco in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 89.0% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the 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 owns 60,267 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Masco Price Performance

Masco stock traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $62.09. 2,510,898 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,760,258. The company has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $65.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $73.33. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $56.55 and a twelve month high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. Masco's revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.93 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. This is a positive change from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.00%. Masco's payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. 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 note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays set a $71.00 target price on Masco and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped 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 note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Masco to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $73.10.

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.