Man Group plc Purchases 173,311 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Man Group plc raised its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 133.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 303,184 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 173,311 shares during the period. Man Group plc owned 0.14% of Masco worth $22,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 89.0% in 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 during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in shares of Masco by 26.7% in 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. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Masco Stock Down 0.8%

MAS traded down $0.51 during trading on Thursday, hitting $62.50. The company had a trading volume of 402,803 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,791,200. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $64.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $72.60. Masco Co. has a one year low of $56.55 and a one year high of $86.70. The company has a market capitalization of $13.18 billion, a PE ratio of 16.62, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.93 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.31 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MAS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Masco from $65.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Loop Capital set a $62.00 target price on Masco and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Masco from $64.00 to $62.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Barclays set a $71.00 target price on shares of Masco and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $73.63.

Insider Transactions at Masco

In other news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value of $1,658,768.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 60,267 shares in the company, valued at $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of Masco stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value 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 represents a 8.68% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Masco 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.