Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Shares Acquired by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 20.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,801 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 645 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Watsco were worth $1,801,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Watsco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Quarry LP grew its holdings in Watsco by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 90 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.71% of the company’s stock.

Watsco Stock Performance

WSO opened at $477.78 on Friday. Watsco, Inc. has a one year low of $396.82 and a one year high of $571.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.06 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $496.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $499.29.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.13 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.67 billion. Watsco had a return on equity of 17.59% and a net margin of 7.04%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th will be given a dividend of $3.00 per share. This is an increase from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.70. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 15th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James started coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Watsco from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Loop Capital boosted their target price on Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $486.25.

Watsco 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.