Heartland Advisors Inc. Purchases Shares of 21,481 WESCO International, Inc. $WCC

Heartland Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 21,481 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,420,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of WESCO International during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,121,000. PCM Encore LLC purchased a new stake in WESCO International in the second quarter valued at approximately $269,000. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in WESCO International during the second quarter worth approximately $1,055,000. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in WESCO International during the second quarter worth approximately $656,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new position in WESCO International during the second quarter worth approximately $208,000. 93.75% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

WESCO International News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting WESCO International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raises earnings forecasts: Zacks Research increased its EPS estimates across multiple periods, including fiscal 2026 to $16.50 from $15.69, fiscal 2027 to $18.58 from $17.63, and fiscal 2028 to $21.24 from $20.37. Quarterly estimates were also raised, with Q3 2026 EPS lifted to $4.45 and Q4 2026 EPS to $4.11. The revisions indicate improving expectations for WESCO’s earnings growth. Zacks maintains a “Strong Buy” rating. Zacks Best Value Stocks article
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth expectations improved: Zacks raised estimates for Q1 and Q2 2027, Q3 and Q4 2027, and Q1 and Q2 2028. The higher forecasts point to an expectation that recent operating momentum can continue beyond the current year, potentially supporting WCC’s valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain strong: WESCO’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $4.57 versus the $3.98 consensus estimate and revenue of $6.67 billion versus $6.44 billion. Revenue increased 13% year over year, while the company’s fiscal 2026 guidance remains $16.00-$17.50 per share.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and institutional support: Recent analyst actions included higher price targets from Barclays and RBC, while hedge funds and other institutions own approximately 93.75% of WCC shares. New or increased positions by large investors may reinforce market confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides modest income: WESCO pays a quarterly dividend of $0.50, or $2.00 annualized, representing a yield of about 0.6%. The low payout ratio leaves room for reinvestment but makes the dividend a relatively minor stock-price driver.
• Negative Sentiment: Executive insider sale: EVP Akash Khurana sold 3,400 shares for approximately $1.25 million, reducing his holdings by 11.04%. The transaction could weigh modestly on sentiment, although a single insider sale does not necessarily signal deteriorating business prospects. WESCO insider sale article

Analyst Ratings Changes

WCC has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of WESCO International from $421.00 to $430.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised WESCO International from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Stephens upgraded WESCO International from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $350.00 to $400.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays boosted their price target on WESCO International from $376.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on WESCO International in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $440.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eight have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $374.29.

WESCO International Trading Up 3.2%

Shares of WCC stock opened at $348.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. WESCO International, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $385.37. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $343.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $322.64. The stock has a market cap of $17.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.54.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The technology company reported $4.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.59. WESCO International had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 14.95%. The company had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.83 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. WESCO International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.000-17.500 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that WESCO International, Inc. will post 16.77 EPS for the current year.

WESCO International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 12th. WESCO International’s dividend payout ratio is 13.82%.

Insider Activity at WESCO International

In related news, EVP Akash Khurana sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $366.78, for a total value of $1,247,052.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 27,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,051,239.12. This represents a 11.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Laura K. Thompson sold 270 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $368.45, for a total value of $99,481.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 10,720 shares in the company, valued at $3,949,784. This trade represents a 2.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

WESCO International Profile

WESCO International, Inc is a leading global distributor of electrical, industrial, communications and utility products, serving a diverse customer base across maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and construction markets. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products ranging from power distribution and automation solutions to data communications, security systems and lighting controls. Through an extensive branch network, WESCO provides critical components and value‐added services that help organizations streamline operations and improve reliability in their facilities and infrastructure.

In addition to its broad product offering, WESCO delivers advanced supply chain management and logistics solutions designed to optimize inventory levels, reduce downtime and lower overall procurement costs.