Stifel Financial Corp Buys 22,901 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Stifel Financial Corp lifted its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 265,915 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 22,901 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp owned 0.12% of Masco worth $19,297,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Masco by 89.0% during the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 684 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on MAS shares. Barclays set a $71.00 price target on shares of Masco and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 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. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $71.00 price target on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $73.10.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE:MAS traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $60.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 403,863 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,730,962. Masco Co. has a 12-month low of $56.55 and a 12-month high of $86.70. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $67.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $74.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74. The stock has a market cap of $12.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24.

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

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. This is a positive change from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.88%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the transaction, the vice president now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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.