MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB Acquires 827 Shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 879.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 921 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB’s holdings in Watsco were worth $436,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Insider Activity

In related 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 value of $5,589,293.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 12.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on WSO shares. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Raymond James assumed coverage on shares of Watsco in a research report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Watsco from $550.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Three 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 company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $488.33.

Watsco Stock Up 1.8 %

WSO stock opened at $505.29 on Wednesday. Watsco, Inc. has a twelve month low of $373.33 and a twelve month high of $571.41. The company has a market cap of $20.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.05 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $507.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $492.78.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.73 by ($0.51). The firm 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%. Watsco’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.35 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 13.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th will be paid a dividend of $2.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 17th. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio is presently 83.46%.

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.