Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Lowers Stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC cut its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 55.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,136 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 7,616 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $411,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 35.3% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 59,792 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,005,000 after purchasing an additional 15,591 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Masco by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 229,507 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $15,372,000 after buying an additional 18,140 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its position in Masco by 264.5% during the fourth quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 18,219 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,220,000 after acquiring an additional 13,221 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of Masco by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 344,141 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $23,051,000 after acquiring an additional 21,165 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,606,000. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:MAS opened at $71.99 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $75.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.57. The stock has a market cap of $15.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.05. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $47.66 and a 12 month high of $78.94.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The construction company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.17. Masco had a net margin of 11.40% and a return on equity of 3,111.50%. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.79 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.65 earnings per share. Masco’s quarterly revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.11 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd were paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.61%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 21st. Masco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.93%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on MAS. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Friday, January 19th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Masco from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com lowered Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Masco from $65.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Masco from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $2,703,076.50. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 58,885 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,395,765.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, VP Richard Allan Marshall sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.05, for a total value of $385,250.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 10,465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $806,328.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of Masco stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $2,703,076.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 58,885 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,395,765.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 83,762 shares of company stock worth $6,337,597. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.