Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $486.25.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WSO shares. Northcoast Research started coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Watsco from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Raymond James began coverage on shares of Watsco in a research note on Friday, January 17th. They set a "market perform" rating for the company. Finally, Loop Capital raised their target price on shares of Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday.

Watsco Stock Performance

Shares of WSO traded down $11.25 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $493.08. 283,374 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 253,567. The stock has a market cap of $19.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.21 and a beta of 0.95. Watsco has a 1-year low of $388.47 and a 1-year high of $571.41. The company has a 50 day moving average of $485.33 and a 200-day moving average of $493.65.

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Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.13 by $0.24. The business had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.67 billion. Watsco had a return on equity of 17.59% and a net margin of 7.04%. Research analysts anticipate that Watsco will post 14.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 17th were paid a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 17th. Watsco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.51%.

Insider Activity

In other Watsco news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of Watsco stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total value of $5,589,293.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 12.86% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Watsco

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WSO. FMR LLC lifted its position in Watsco by 10.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,624,159 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,782,651,000 after buying an additional 346,470 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Watsco by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,618,109 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,714,586,000 after acquiring an additional 52,127 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Watsco by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,371,535 shares of the construction company's stock worth $649,957,000 after acquiring an additional 118,713 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Watsco by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,173,762 shares of the construction company's stock worth $577,350,000 after purchasing an additional 65,846 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Watsco by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 725,186 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $343,168,000 after purchasing an additional 20,856 shares during the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.