Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Reduces Stock Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 11.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 121,121 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 16,195 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned 0.06% of Masco worth $8,790,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its stake in Masco by 89.0% in the 4th 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. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 330 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MAS shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Masco from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $71.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Loop Capital set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Masco and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Masco from $65.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 target price (down previously from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.63.

Masco Stock Up 1.4%

MAS traded up $0.90 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $63.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,754,479 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,803,439. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $56.55 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The stock's 50-day moving average is $63.69 and its 200-day moving average is $71.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.89, a PEG 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.

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

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total transaction of $225,317.42. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares in the company, 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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.