Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Position Reduced by Caledonia Investments PLC

Caledonia Investments PLC trimmed its position in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 194,427 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Watsco accounts for 11.0% of Caledonia Investments PLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Caledonia Investments PLC’s holdings in Watsco were worth $92,166,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Watsco Stock Performance

NYSE:WSO opened at $466.22 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.03 and a beta of 0.95. Watsco, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $373.33 and a fifty-two week high of $571.41. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $510.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $491.76.

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

Watsco Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.46%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of Watsco stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total value of $5,589,293.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 12.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

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.