Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Shares Bought by Hamlin Capital Management LLC

Hamlin Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Free Report) by 9.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 345,020 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 30,477 shares during the quarter. Watsco makes up 4.0% of Hamlin Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Hamlin Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.85% of Watsco worth $163,502,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSO. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Watsco by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC now owns 2,999 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,475,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. My Legacy Advisors LLC lifted its position in Watsco by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. My Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 687 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $329,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its stake in Watsco by 30.6% during the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 94 shares of the construction company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Watsco by 2.6% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 952 shares of the construction company's stock worth $468,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Watsco by 27.8% in the 3rd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.71% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on WSO. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of Watsco in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Raymond James assumed coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Watsco from $550.00 to $540.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $488.33.

Watsco Trading Up 1.8 %

WSO stock traded up $9.01 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $505.29. The stock had a trading volume of 202,967 shares, compared to its average volume of 237,622. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $507.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $492.78. The company has a market capitalization of $20.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.05 and a beta of 0.95. Watsco, Inc. has a 1-year low of $373.33 and a 1-year high of $571.41.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.73 by ($0.51). The business had revenue of $2.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.24 billion. Watsco had a return on equity of 17.77% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company's revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.35 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Watsco, Inc. will post 13.04 EPS for the current year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be paid a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 17th. Watsco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.46%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total value of $5,589,293.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 12.86% of the company's stock.

Watsco Profile

Watsco, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of air conditioning, heating, refrigeration equipment, and related parts and supplies in the United States and internationally. The company distributes equipment, including residential ducted and ductless air conditioners, such as gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment systems; and other specialized equipment.