Jump Financial LLC Acquires Shares of 4,002 Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 4,002 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,715,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WSO. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new position in Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Watsco during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Watsco during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 89.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WSO shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $500.00 price target on shares of Watsco in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Watsco has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $404.25.

Insider Activity

In other Watsco news, Director John Alexander Macdonald sold 5,334 shares of Watsco stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.41, for a total transaction of $2,487,830.94. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 774 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $473.85, for a total value of $366,759.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,770 shares of the company's stock, valued at $838,714.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John Alexander Macdonald sold 5,334 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $466.41, for a total value of $2,487,830.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 13.30% of the company's stock.

Watsco Stock Down 0.4 %

Watsco stock traded down $1.75 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $482.70. The stock had a trading volume of 192,544 shares, compared to its average volume of 340,622. Watsco, Inc. has a 52 week low of $315.17 and a 52 week high of $488.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.92 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The company has a market cap of $19.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.13 and a beta of 0.86. The business's 50 day moving average price is $432.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $409.12.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.26 by ($0.09). Watsco had a net margin of 7.03% and a return on equity of 19.26%. The business had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.83 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.26 EPS for the current year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, April 15th were issued a dividend of $2.70 per share. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.24%. This is a boost from Watsco's previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 12th. Watsco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.08%.

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.