1,159 Shares in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Acquired by Paradigm Financial Partners LLC

Paradigm Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 1,159 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $497,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Watsco in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Hartford Financial Management Inc. grew its holdings in Watsco by 53.1% in the 4th quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 75 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Watsco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSO opened at $443.21 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 2.92. The company has a market capitalization of $17.51 billion, a PE ratio of 34.09 and a beta of 0.89. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $412.36 and a 200-day moving average of $399.74. Watsco, Inc. has a one year low of $315.17 and a one year high of $451.29.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.26 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $1.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. Watsco had a net margin of 7.03% and a return on equity of 19.26%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be issued a $2.70 dividend. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.44%. This is a boost from Watsco’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 12th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on WSO shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Watsco from $420.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $500.00 price objective on shares of Watsco in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $404.25.

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.