Anchor Capital Advisors LLC Trims Holdings in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 85,255 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 4,016 shares during the quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.21% of Watsco worth $40,402,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WSO. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Quarry LP increased its position in Watsco by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 90 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Watsco during the third quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. 89.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WSO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Raymond James assumed coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, January 17th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Loop Capital raised their price objective on shares of Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Watsco from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of Watsco in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $486.25.

Watsco Stock Performance

NYSE WSO opened at $499.55 on Friday. Watsco, Inc. has a one year low of $387.58 and a one year high of $571.41. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $484.84 and a 200 day moving average of $493.04. The company has a market capitalization of $20.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.70 and a beta of 0.95.

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

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 17th were given a $2.70 dividend. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Watsco

In related news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of Watsco stock in a transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 12.86% of the company’s 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.