Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Shares Sold by Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC

Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 47,902 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,036 shares during the quarter. Watsco comprises approximately 1.1% of Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Motley Fool Wealth Management LLC owned about 0.12% of Watsco worth $20,491,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Watsco by 0.5% in the third quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 1,655,946 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $625,484,000 after purchasing an additional 7,723 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Watsco by 0.7% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,310,201 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $476,973,000 after purchasing an additional 9,201 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in Watsco by 0.7% in the third quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 770,476 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $291,024,000 after purchasing an additional 4,997 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Watsco by 2.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 648,662 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $245,013,000 after purchasing an additional 16,589 shares during the period. Finally, Markel Group Inc. increased its stake in Watsco by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 556,750 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $238,551,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000 shares during the period. 89.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Watsco Stock Performance

Shares of Watsco stock traded down $0.79 on Friday, reaching $443.21. 277,114 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 313,812. The company has a current ratio of 2.92, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $412.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $399.77. Watsco, Inc. has a 1-year low of $315.17 and a 1-year high of $451.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.51 billion, a PE ratio of 34.09 and a beta of 0.90.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.26 by ($0.09). Watsco had a return on equity of 19.26% and a net margin of 7.03%. The company 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The business 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. This is a positive change from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 12th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.08%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $500.00 price target on shares of Watsco in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $404.25.

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.