Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Sold by Robeco Schweiz AG

Robeco Schweiz AG reduced its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 23.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 445,538 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 138,487 shares during the period. Robeco Schweiz AG owned about 0.20% of Masco worth $29,704,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MAS. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in Masco during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Masco by 62.4% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Masco during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in Masco by 46.0% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the subject of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Masco from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $77.58.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of MAS traded up $1.29 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $80.21. 951,398 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,886,729. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $75.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.51 billion, a PE ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 52-week low of $47.66 and a 52-week high of $81.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Masco (NYSE:MAS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The company had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.19 EPS. Masco's revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. Masco's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 37,814 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.32, for a total value of $2,961,592.48. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 36,980 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,896,273.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.