Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Acquired by Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 40.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,824 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,964 shares during the quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Masco were worth $1,524,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MAS. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its holdings in Masco by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 489,736 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $35,540,000 after buying an additional 18,398 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust increased its position in shares of Masco by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 14,601 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,060,000 after acquiring an additional 959 shares in the last quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its stake in shares of Masco by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 6,317 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $458,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in shares of Masco by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 415,299 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $30,138,000 after acquiring an additional 5,074 shares during the period. Finally, Forsta AP Fonden raised its stake in shares of Masco by 45.9% in the 4th quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 103,300 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $7,496,000 after acquiring an additional 32,500 shares during the period. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MAS. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Masco to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Loop Capital raised their target price 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Masco from $95.00 to $94.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Nine 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.32.

Masco Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of MAS traded up $0.80 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $78.42. The company had a trading volume of 1,292,936 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,488,001. The company's 50 day moving average price is $76.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $78.70. The stock has a market cap of $16.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.86, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.25. Masco Co. has a 52 week low of $63.81 and a 52 week high of $86.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.74.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a net margin of 10.54% and a return on equity of 615.54%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.83 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Masco Co. will post 4.09 EPS for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.58%. This is an increase from Masco's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Masco's payout ratio is presently 30.85%.

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.