Middleton & Co. Inc. MA Sells 110 Shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Middleton & Co. Inc. MA decreased its holdings in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,277 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 110 shares during the period. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s holdings in Watsco were worth $3,922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Metis Global Partners LLC boosted its stake in Watsco by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 472 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $224,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Watsco by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 12,134 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,752,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Watsco by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,318 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $625,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP boosted its stake in Watsco by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 2,200 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,043,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at $63,603,000. Institutional investors own 89.71% of the company’s stock.

Watsco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WSO opened at $503.80 on Friday. Watsco, Inc. has a 1 year low of $388.47 and a 1 year high of $571.41. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $485.23 and its 200 day moving average is $493.29. The company has a market cap of $20.34 billion, a PE ratio of 38.02 and a beta of 0.95.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.13 by $0.24. Watsco had a return on equity of 17.59% and a net margin of 7.04%. The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.67 billion. Analysts expect that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watsco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 17th were given a $2.70 dividend. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WSO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Watsco from $540.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on Watsco from $450.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Raymond James assumed coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, January 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Watsco currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $486.25.

Insider Transactions at Watsco

In related news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was 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 accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 12.86% of the company’s stock.

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.