USS Investment Management Ltd Sells 35,685 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

USS Investment Management Ltd lessened its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 41.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 50,811 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 35,685 shares during the period. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Masco were worth $3,688,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in Masco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Masco by 89.0% during the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Masco by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 703 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on MAS. 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 report on Thursday, April 24th. Loop Capital set a $62.00 target price on Masco and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Masco from $65.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 price target (down previously from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Ten equities research 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 data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $73.63.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following 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 SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Masco Trading Down 1.5%

Masco stock traded down $0.98 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $62.51. 1,494,102 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,801,993. Masco Co. has a fifty-two week low of $56.55 and a fifty-two week high of $86.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.63, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $63.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.03.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. The company had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.93 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 9th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.98%. Masco's payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

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.