Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 5,000 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS - Free Report) by 25.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,000 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 5,000 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Masco were worth $1,089,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 6.7% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,031 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 0.3% in the third quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 44,940 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,756,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.9% in the third quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 7,031 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 8,089 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $587,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empirical Finance LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 1.8% in the third quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 7,917 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $665,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com lowered Masco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Masco from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Masco from $94.00 to $91.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their target price on Masco from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and set a $74.00 target price on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday. Nine equities research 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, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.32.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS stock traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $78.42. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,292,936 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,376,449. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $76.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $78.70. The company has a market capitalization 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 fifty-two week low of $63.81 and a fifty-two 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 issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The construction company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.01. Masco had a return on equity of 615.54% and a net margin of 10.54%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.83 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Masco Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Increases Dividend

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

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.