Apollon Wealth Management LLC Grows Holdings in Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS)

Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 8.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,900 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 614 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Masco were worth $549,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cibc World Markets Corp raised its stake in shares of Masco by 14.7% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 34,162 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,479,000 after purchasing an additional 4,388 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Masco by 32.2% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,594 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 876 shares in the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Masco in the 4th quarter valued at about $96,000. Vinva Investment Management Ltd raised its stake in shares of Masco by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 11,530 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $836,000 after purchasing an additional 1,410 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Masco by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 101,190 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $7,343,000 after purchasing an additional 10,616 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Down 0.4%

Masco stock opened at $65.59 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $64.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.19. Masco Corporation has a 52-week low of $56.55 and a 52-week high of $86.70.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. Masco had a net margin of 10.30% and a return on equity of 1,320.76%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.93 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Masco Corporation will post 4.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. Masco’s payout ratio is 33.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MAS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating on shares of Masco in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Masco from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Masco from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of Masco from $82.00 to $71.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Masco from $74.00 to $62.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Ten 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.03.

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.