Sowell Financial Services LLC Buys New Shares in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS)

Sowell Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 6,041 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $420,000.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Montecito Bank & Trust grew its stake in Masco by 2.0% in the first quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 13,293 shares of the construction company's stock worth $924,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 2,707 shares of the construction company's stock worth $188,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Masco by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 255,269 shares of the construction company's stock worth $17,751,000 after buying an additional 36,149 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Masco by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 702,568 shares of the construction company's stock worth $48,857,000 after buying an additional 49,055 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Donald L. Hagan LLC increased its stake in shares of Masco by 3.7% during the first quarter. Donald L. Hagan LLC now owns 19,534 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,358,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Stock Up 1.4%

MAS stock traded up $0.87 on Tuesday, hitting $63.82. 2,584,221 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,839,976. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $62.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.73. Masco Corporation has a 12-month low of $56.55 and a 12-month high of $86.70. The stock has a market cap of $13.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.75.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued 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). Masco had a return on equity of 1,320.76% and a net margin of 10.30%. The business had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.93 EPS. Masco's revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.94%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MAS shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Masco from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Masco and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $80.00 price target (down from $91.00) on shares of Masco 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $73.63.

Masco Company 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.