Quadrature Capital Ltd Has $4.41 Million Holdings in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Quadrature Capital Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 115.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 55,939 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,001 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd’s holdings in Masco were worth $4,409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Masco by 62.4% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 70.1% during the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 432 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the period. Union Savings Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 91.7% during the 4th quarter. Union Savings Bank now owns 575 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 4,545.5% during the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Masco during the 1st quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of MAS stock traded up $1.61 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $77.45. 3,007,947 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,164,413. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $71.28. The stock has a market cap of $17.06 billion, a PE ratio of 18.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 12 month low of $47.66 and a 12 month high of $78.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.10 billion. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.08 EPS for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s payout ratio is currently 28.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MAS. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Loop Capital cut their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.57.

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.