Masco Corporation $MAS Shares Bought by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 828.7% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,071,592 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 956,204 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in Masco were worth $64,692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Masco by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 829 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its stake in Masco by 3.9% in the first quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 4,017 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Masco by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC now owns 6,565 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $417,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC boosted its holdings in Masco by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 4,945 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fayez Sarofim & Co boosted its holdings in Masco by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 26,075 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,655,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $79.32 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $74.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.06. The company has a market capitalization of $16.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.29. Masco Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $58.16 and a fifty-two week high of $83.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.75.

Masco declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $300.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Masco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.76%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MAS shares. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Masco from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Masco from $84.00 to $79.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Masco from $69.00 to $61.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Masco from $72.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Masco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $80.67.

Masco Profile

Masco Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded home improvement and building products. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, the company has evolved from a small door‐bell manufacturer into a diversified enterprise serving both residential and commercial markets. Over its history, Masco has grown through a combination of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions, building a portfolio of well-recognized brands.

The company’s product offerings are organized into two primary segments.