Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC Has $20.49 Million Holdings in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 47,902 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,036 shares during the quarter. Watsco makes up 1.1% of Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Watsco were worth $20,491,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Benchmark Financial Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at $536,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth about $4,070,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Watsco by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 648,662 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $245,013,000 after purchasing an additional 16,589 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth about $2,516,000. Finally, Hamlin Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Watsco by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 295,833 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $126,756,000 after purchasing an additional 16,006 shares during the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Watsco Trading Down 0.2 %

Watsco stock traded down $0.79 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $443.21. 277,114 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 313,812. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 2.92. Watsco, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $315.17 and a fifty-two week high of $451.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.09 and a beta of 0.90. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $412.36 and its 200-day moving average is $399.77.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by ($0.09). Watsco had a net margin of 7.03% and a return on equity of 19.26%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.83 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $2.70 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. This is an increase from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.44%. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WSO. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $500.00 target price on shares of Watsco in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $404.25.

About Watsco

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.