OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp Buys 35,149 Shares of Masco Corporation $MAS

OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp boosted its stake in shares of Masco Corporation (NYSE:MAS) by 374.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,525 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 35,149 shares during the quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp’s holdings in Masco were worth $2,688,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MAS. Van Diest Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Masco by 130.1% during the first quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC now owns 7,562 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $457,000 after acquiring an additional 4,275 shares during the last quarter. Lombard Odier Asset Management Switzerland SA bought a new stake in Masco in the first quarter valued at approximately $286,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its holdings in Masco by 55.8% in the first quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 12,793 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $772,000 after acquiring an additional 4,583 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in Masco by 27.1% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,134,114 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $68,466,000 after purchasing an additional 242,114 shares during the period. Finally, Bollard Group LLC increased its position in Masco by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 44,410 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,681,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on MAS shares. 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. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Masco from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Masco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, 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 report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Masco presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $80.67.

Masco Price Performance

Shares of MAS opened at $81.83 on Wednesday. Masco Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.16 and a 52-week high of $83.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 109.07, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.75. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $75.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.29. The firm has a market cap of $16.51 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.29.

Masco Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Masco’s payout ratio is currently 31.76%.

Masco declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $300.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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.