Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Shares Bought by Two Sigma Securities LLC

Two Sigma Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Free Report) by 170.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,753 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the period. Two Sigma Securities LLC's holdings in Watsco were worth $831,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Watsco by 76.2% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 148 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.71% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WSO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Loop Capital boosted their price target on Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho set a $490.00 price target on Watsco in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group decreased their price target on Watsco from $475.00 to $455.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Watsco from $560.00 to $540.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on Watsco in a research note on Monday, April 14th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $515.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Watsco has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $480.83.

Watsco Price Performance

WSO traded down $0.15 during trading on Monday, hitting $455.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 234,954 shares, compared to its average volume of 255,406. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $497.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $498.58. The stock has a market cap of $18.42 billion, a PE ratio of 34.41 and a beta of 1.00. Watsco, Inc. has a twelve month low of $439.08 and a twelve month high of $571.42.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.29 by ($0.36). Watsco had a net margin of 7.04% and a return on equity of 17.59%. The business had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.17 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a $3.00 dividend. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.63%. This is a positive change from Watsco's previous quarterly dividend of $2.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 15th. Watsco's dividend payout ratio is presently 92.24%.

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.