Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Buys 9,571 Shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS)

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 63.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,717 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,571 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd.'s holdings in Masco were worth $1,719,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 120.2% during the 1st quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 381 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the period. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its position in Masco by 89.0% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Masco by 74.3% in the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 774 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares during the period. Finally, South Plains Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Masco in the fourth quarter worth about $70,000. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS stock traded up $0.59 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $63.78. The company had a trading volume of 2,263,576 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,833,771. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $62.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.64. Masco Corporation has a 52-week low of $56.55 and a 52-week high of $86.70. The company has a market capitalization of $13.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.19.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.84 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 1,320.76%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.93 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.94%. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MAS has been the subject of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Masco in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $71.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Barclays set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Masco and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Masco has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $73.63.

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.