Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $495.00.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Watsco

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. LifeWealth Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at $220,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Watsco by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,080 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $986,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Watsco by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 9,623 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,560,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares during the period. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco in the fourth quarter worth about $4,716,000. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in shares of Watsco by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 4,552 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,157,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Watsco Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of WSO traded up $0.62 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $499.55. The company had a trading volume of 154,440 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,399. The company has a market capitalization of $20.17 billion, a PE ratio of 37.70 and a beta of 0.95. Watsco has a one year low of $387.58 and a one year high of $571.41. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $484.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $492.99.

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

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th were issued a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.51%.

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.