Oxbow Advisors LLC Sells 45,080 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

Key Points

• Oxbow Advisors LLC cut its Masco position by 46.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 45,080 shares and leaving it with 51,549 shares valued at about $3.27 million.
• Masco reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.04 per share, topping estimates, though revenue of $1.92 billion came in below expectations even as sales rose 6.5% year over year.
• The company boosted shareholder returns with a $2 billion share repurchase program and a higher quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, bringing the annualized yield to about 1.8%.

Oxbow Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 46.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,549 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 45,080 shares during the quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC's holdings in Masco were worth $3,271,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the third quarter worth about $192,948,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Masco by 443.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 2,330,523 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $164,046,000 after acquiring an additional 1,901,815 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Masco by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,085,602 shares of the construction company's stock worth $357,976,000 after acquiring an additional 1,240,322 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Masco by 502.1% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,055,362 shares of the construction company's stock worth $74,287,000 after purchasing an additional 880,076 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in Masco by 24.0% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,104,852 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $286,396,000 after purchasing an additional 793,591 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of Masco stock opened at $71.73 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $65.16 and a 200 day moving average of $66.20. Masco Corporation has a 52 week low of $58.16 and a 52 week high of $79.19. The company has a market cap of $14.47 billion, a PE ratio of 17.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.16. Masco had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 815.20%. The business had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Masco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.100-4.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Masco Corporation will post 4.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 13.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This is a positive change from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.76%.

Insider Activity

In other Masco news, CAO Heath M. Eisman sold 747 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $53,724.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,510 shares in the company, valued at approximately $899,719.20. The trade was a 5.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $79.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Masco from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Masco from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $65.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $80.07.

Masco Profile

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, the company has evolved from a small door‐bell manufacturer into a diversified enterprise serving both residential and commercial markets. Over its history, Masco has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions, building a portfolio of well-recognized brands.

The company's product offerings are organized into two primary segments.

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