Graham Capital Management L.P. Acquires 16,891 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Graham Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 35.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 65,085 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 16,891 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Masco were worth $4,723,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Masco in the fourth quarter worth $129,306,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth about $33,157,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth about $30,678,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Masco by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,821,629 shares of the construction company's stock worth $204,766,000 after acquiring an additional 360,931 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Masco by 91.6% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 708,830 shares of the construction company's stock worth $51,440,000 after purchasing an additional 338,925 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MAS opened at $62.09 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23. Masco Co. has a 1 year low of $56.55 and a 1 year high of $86.70. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $65.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $73.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.05). The business 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 company's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.93 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. This is an increase from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Masco

In related news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total transaction of $1,658,768.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. The trade was a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on MAS. Barclays set a $71.00 price target on Masco and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $80.00 price target (down from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Masco in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $71.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $70.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.10.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.