WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Shares of WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $174.68 and traded as high as $179.74. WESCO International shares last traded at $178.90, with a volume of 511,188 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on WCC shares. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on WESCO International from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of WESCO International from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of WESCO International from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Baird R W raised shares of WESCO International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, StockNews.com raised WESCO International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, WESCO International presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $215.88.

WESCO International Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $8.87 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 2.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $194.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $174.71.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The technology company reported $3.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.22 by $0.36. WESCO International had a net margin of 3.19% and a return on equity of 13.19%. The firm had revenue of $5.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.49 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that WESCO International, Inc. will post 12.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WESCO International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be given a $0.4125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.91%. WESCO International's payout ratio is 13.21%.

Insider Activity at WESCO International

In related news, CFO David S. Schulz sold 14,938 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $206.55, for a total value of $3,085,443.90. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 104,471 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,578,485.05. This represents a 12.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nelson John Squires III sold 10,000 shares of WESCO International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.00, for a total value of $1,900,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 54,621 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,377,990. This represents a 15.47 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 27,767 shares of company stock valued at $5,567,454 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of WESCO International during the third quarter worth $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of WESCO International by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 633 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of WESCO International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $221,000. Innealta Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of WESCO International by 68.0% in the third quarter. Innealta Capital LLC now owns 1,606 shares of the technology company's stock worth $270,000 after buying an additional 650 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenleaf Trust grew its holdings in WESCO International by 4.8% during the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,401 shares of the technology company's stock worth $403,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. 93.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About WESCO International

WESCO International, Inc provides business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), Communications & Security Solutions (CSS), and Utility and Broadband Solutions (UBS).