Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Sold by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund cut its stake in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 492,562 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 14,181 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.23% of Masco worth $35,745,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Masco in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Masco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Masco Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of Masco stock traded down $1.47 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $74.82. The stock had a trading volume of 1,196,861 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,451,646. Masco Co. has a 12-month low of $63.81 and a 12-month high of $86.70. The firm has a market cap of $15.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.25. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $76.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.71. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 838.32% and a net margin of 10.50%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.83 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MAS. Loop Capital upped their price target on shares of Masco from $76.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Oppenheimer raised Masco from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $89.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. StockNews.com cut Masco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.32.

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.