Brokerages Set Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) PT at $396.00

Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the eight analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $396.00.

Separately, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Watsco from $400.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th.

Watsco Price Performance

NYSE:WSO traded up $5.52 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $417.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 280,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 343,833. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $408.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $397.08. The company has a market capitalization of $16.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.58, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 3.36 and a quick ratio of 1.47. Watsco has a twelve month low of $309.17 and a twelve month high of $447.49.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The construction company reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.44). The business had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Watsco had a net margin of 7.36% and a return on equity of 21.36%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.35 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Watsco will post 14.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, April 15th will be paid a $2.70 dividend. This is a positive change from Watsco's previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. Watsco's payout ratio is currently 71.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Watsco

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Watsco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Watsco during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Watsco during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in Watsco during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.