Watsco (NYSE:WSO) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.26 by ($0.09), Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. Watsco had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 21.36%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.83 earnings per share.

Watsco Stock Performance

Watsco stock traded up $6.56 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $447.16. 210,168 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 344,646. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 3.36 and a quick ratio of 1.47. Watsco has a 12 month low of $315.17 and a 12 month high of $451.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.94 and a beta of 0.90. The business has a 50 day moving average of $410.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $399.13.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $2.70 per share. This is an increase from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.42%. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio is 79.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $404.25.

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.