Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Stock Position Lowered by Motley Fool Asset Management LLC

Motley Fool Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 88,021 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 789 shares during the period. Watsco comprises approximately 2.8% of Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Watsco were worth $37,714,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WSO. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Hartford Financial Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Watsco by 53.1% during the fourth quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 75 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $500.00 price objective on shares of Watsco in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $404.25.

Watsco Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of WSO traded up $3.23 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $443.83. The stock had a trading volume of 482,385 shares, compared to its average volume of 348,324. The company has a current ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $411.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $399.44. Watsco, Inc. has a 12 month low of $315.17 and a 12 month high of $451.29. The company has a market capitalization of $17.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.49 and a beta of 0.90.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.26 by ($0.09). Watsco had a return on equity of 21.36% and a net margin of 7.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.83 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a $2.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.43%. This is an increase from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. Watsco’s payout ratio is presently 79.06%.

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.