Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Makes New Investment in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 3,270 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,608,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Watsco by 0.7% in the third quarter. J. W. Coons Advisors LLC now owns 2,999 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,475,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its position in shares of Watsco by 30.6% in the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 94 shares of the construction company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Watsco by 2.6% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 952 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $468,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Watsco by 27.8% during the third quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. raised its stake in Watsco by 2.2% in the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 1,166 shares of the construction company's stock worth $574,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.71% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSO has been the topic of several recent research reports. 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 research report on Thursday, October 24th. Northcoast Research began coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $491.25.

Watsco Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of WSO stock traded down $8.06 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $543.54. 216,063 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 280,977. Watsco, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $373.33 and a fifty-two week high of $571.41. The stock's 50 day moving average is $506.47 and its 200-day moving average is $487.96. The company has a market cap of $21.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.66 and a beta of 0.92.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.73 by ($0.51). Watsco had a return on equity of 17.77% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.35 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 13.06 EPS for the current year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 16th were paid a $2.70 dividend. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 16th. Watsco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.46%.

Watsco Company 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.