Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Holdings Lowered by Caledonia Investments PLC

Caledonia Investments PLC lessened its position in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 194,427 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the period. Watsco accounts for 11.0% of Caledonia Investments PLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Caledonia Investments PLC owned approximately 0.48% of Watsco worth $92,166,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WSO. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Watsco in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Watsco during the third quarter valued at $43,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Watsco by 30.6% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 94 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 3rd quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Watsco by 27.8% in the 3rd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Northcoast Research started coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Watsco from $550.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th.

Watsco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WSO opened at $466.22 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $18.83 billion, a PE ratio of 36.03 and a beta of 0.95. Watsco, Inc. has a 1 year low of $373.33 and a 1 year high of $571.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $510.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $491.76.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.73 by ($0.51). Watsco had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.77%. The business had revenue of $2.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.35 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Watsco, Inc. will post 13.06 EPS for the current year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be issued a $2.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 17th. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.32%. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.46%.

Insider Activity at Watsco

In other news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total transaction of $5,589,293.58. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 12.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.