Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) Position Lowered by Appleton Partners Inc. MA

Appleton Partners Inc. MA trimmed its position in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,713 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 56 shares during the period. Appleton Partners Inc. MA’s holdings in Watsco were worth $3,181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WSO. Harvey Investment Co. LLC grew its position in shares of Watsco by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Harvey Investment Co. LLC now owns 2,715 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,287,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Watsco during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Watsco by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 68,637 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $32,526,000 after purchasing an additional 3,879 shares during the period. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Watsco during the fourth quarter valued at $11,337,000. Finally, Buck Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Watsco by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 17,450 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $8,269,000 after purchasing an additional 3,973 shares during the period. 89.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Watsco

In other Watsco news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total transaction of $5,589,293.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 12.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Watsco Stock Down 1.8 %

Watsco stock opened at $464.98 on Friday. Watsco, Inc. has a 52-week low of $373.33 and a 52-week high of $571.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $491.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $491.80.

Watsco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Friday, January 17th were issued a $2.70 dividend. This represents a $10.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 17th. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on WSO shares. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Watsco from $550.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Raymond James started coverage on Watsco in a report on Friday, January 17th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Northcoast Research initiated coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $488.33.

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.