GTS Securities LLC Sells 1,043 Shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

GTS Securities LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Free Report) by 65.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 557 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 1,043 shares during the quarter. GTS Securities LLC's holdings in Watsco were worth $264,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in Watsco by 9.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 130,379 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $61,785,000 after purchasing an additional 11,519 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Watsco by 12.6% in the fourth quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 9,576 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $4,538,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Watsco by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 19,010 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $9,009,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. grew its position in shares of Watsco by 13.0% in the fourth quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 144,435 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $68,446,000 after purchasing an additional 16,665 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI grew its position in shares of Watsco by 107.7% in the fourth quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 8,517 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $4,036,000 after purchasing an additional 4,417 shares in the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Watsco Price Performance

Shares of Watsco stock traded down $2.50 on Friday, hitting $443.35. The company had a trading volume of 405,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 257,546. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $480.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $494.03. The company has a market cap of $17.96 billion, a PE ratio of 33.46 and a beta of 1.11. Watsco, Inc. has a 52 week low of $435.58 and a 52 week high of $571.42.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.29 by ($0.36). Watsco had a return on equity of 17.59% and a net margin of 7.04%. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.66 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.17 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 15th were given a dividend of $3.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 15th. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.71%. This is a positive change from Watsco's previous quarterly dividend of $2.70. Watsco's dividend payout ratio is currently 92.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on WSO shares. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Watsco from $560.00 to $540.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Watsco from $475.00 to $455.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Watsco from $445.00 to $460.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Mizuho set a $490.00 price objective on Watsco in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $486.67.

Watsco Company 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.