American Century Companies Inc. Sells 56,484 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

American Century Companies Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 20.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 217,646 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 56,484 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.10% of Masco worth $15,795,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MAS. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Masco during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in Masco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Masco by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 703 shares of the construction company's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Masco Stock Performance

NYSE:MAS traded down $7.05 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $64.01. 4,439,012 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,662,477. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $74.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $77.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $63.19 and a 12 month high of $86.70.

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Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share (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 quarter last year, the company earned $0.83 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $0.31 dividend. This is a boost from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. 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 1.94%. Masco's dividend payout ratio is currently 32.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Renee Straber sold 3,139 shares of the 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 sale, the vice president now owns 33,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,370,678.06. This represents a 8.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Keith J. Allman sold 21,723 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 60,267 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,601,988.12. This represents a 26.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Zelman & Associates raised Masco to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Oppenheimer upgraded Masco from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $89.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Masco in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Ten investment 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $85.30.

Masco Company 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.