Wesbanco Bank Inc. Decreases Position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS)

Wesbanco Bank Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 7.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,379 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,291 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in Masco were worth $1,092,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in Masco during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Masco by 62.4% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 354 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Masco by 70.1% in the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 432 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in Masco by 46.0% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Union Savings Bank grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. 93.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on MAS. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com lowered Masco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Loop Capital dropped their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Masco from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.58.

Masco Stock Up 0.3 %

Masco stock opened at $73.09 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.85, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $69.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.72. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $47.66 and a twelve month high of $79.54.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.02. The company 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%. Masco’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 2nd. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Masco Company 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.