Kesler Norman & Wride LLC Invests $686,000 in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 9,455 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $686,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in Masco by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 703 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Masco

In other Masco news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of Masco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.78, for a total value of $225,317.42. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 33,027 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,370,678.06. The trade was a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 60,267 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This trade represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Masco Stock Down 3.5 %

MAS stock traded down $2.21 during trading on Monday, reaching $60.71. The stock had a trading volume of 999,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,672,759. Masco Co. has a one year low of $59.90 and a one year high of $86.70. The company's 50 day moving average is $74.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.45. The company has a market capitalization of $12.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.12, 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.50% and a return on equity of 838.32%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.83 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.34 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. This is an increase from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $77.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $85.30.

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.