Evergreen Wealth Solutions LLC Increases Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Evergreen Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,003 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 540 shares during the quarter. Evergreen Wealth Solutions LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $581,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Masco by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 331,883 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,147,000 after acquiring an additional 56,626 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Masco by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 219,120 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $17,135,000 after purchasing an additional 13,568 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Masco by 69.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,544 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 631 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Masco by 5,050.0% during the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,300 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $747,000 after purchasing an additional 10,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in Masco by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,016,079 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $73,737,000 after buying an additional 20,129 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Price Performance

NYSE:MAS opened at $60.46 on Wednesday. Masco Co. has a 52 week low of $56.55 and a 52 week high of $86.70. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $67.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.62. The company has a market capitalization of $12.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. 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) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $1.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.84 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.05%. This is a boost from Masco’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.88%.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $2,370,678.06. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.36, for a total value 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 $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on MAS shares. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price (down previously from $91.00) on shares of Masco in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Oppenheimer upgraded Masco from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $89.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $73.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Masco in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $71.00 price objective for the company. 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $73.10.

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.