DNB Asset Management AS Purchases 1,815 Shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

DNB Asset Management AS increased its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 3.4% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 55,445 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,815 shares during the quarter. DNB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Masco were worth $3,697,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth about $627,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $122,144,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Masco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $975,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its position in Masco by 14.3% in the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 542,096 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $42,245,000 after acquiring an additional 67,806 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Masco during the first quarter valued at $1,903,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Performance

Shares of Masco stock opened at $74.92 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $71.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.11, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.24. 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 Co. has a one year low of $47.66 and a one year high of $79.54.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. Masco had a return on equity of 602.39% and a net margin of 11.59%. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be paid a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MAS. StockNews.com downgraded Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Robert W. Baird increased 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. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Masco from $73.00 to $66.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, 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 research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Masco has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $77.58.

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.