Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Stake Increased by Quantbot Technologies LP

Quantbot Technologies LP grew its stake in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 47.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,608 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,349 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Watsco were worth $6,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Semanteon Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Watsco by 31.3% in the fourth quarter. Semanteon Capital Management LP now owns 3,036 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,439,000 after buying an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its stake in Watsco by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 7,692 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,645,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Enhancing Capital LLC acquired a new position in Watsco in the fourth quarter worth $376,000. Xponance Inc. increased its stake in Watsco by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 5,913 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,802,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kensington Investment Counsel LLC raised its holdings in shares of Watsco by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC now owns 18,452 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $8,744,000 after purchasing an additional 696 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.71% of the company’s stock.

Watsco Trading Down 1.3 %

WSO stock opened at $495.89 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $493.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $496.13. The company has a market capitalization of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.43 and a beta of 0.92. Watsco, Inc. has a 52 week low of $396.82 and a 52 week high of $571.42.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.13 by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 predict that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Friday, January 17th were issued a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s payout ratio is currently 81.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on WSO. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of Watsco in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Watsco from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Loop Capital raised their price target on Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Raymond James initiated coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday, January 17th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $486.25.

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.