Caxton Associates LP Boosts Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Caxton Associates LP raised its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 238.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,927 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,697 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LP's holdings in Masco were worth $793,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Masco Price Performance

NYSE MAS traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $62.09. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,510,898 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,760,258. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.75. The company's 50-day moving average is $65.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $73.33. Masco Co. has a fifty-two week low of $56.55 and a fifty-two week high of $86.70. The stock has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.51, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23.

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

Masco Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,370,678.06. The trade was a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays set a $71.00 price target on Masco and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 price objective (down from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.