Crown Oak Advisors LLC Has $11.43 Million Position in Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO)

Crown Oak Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) by 20.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 24,121 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,101 shares during the period. Watsco accounts for 5.9% of Crown Oak Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Crown Oak Advisors LLC’s holdings in Watsco were worth $11,430,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Watsco in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Watsco during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its stake in Watsco by 30.6% in the third quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 94 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in Watsco in the third quarter worth $48,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Watsco by 27.8% during the third quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. 89.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Barry S. Logan sold 10,998 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $508.21, for a total value of $5,589,293.58. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 12.86% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Watsco Price Performance

NYSE WSO opened at $497.97 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $20.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.48 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $505.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $492.91. Watsco, Inc. has a 1 year low of $373.33 and a 1 year high of $571.41.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.73 by ($0.51). Watsco had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.77%. The firm had revenue of $2.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.35 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Watsco, Inc. will post 13.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Watsco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Friday, January 17th will be issued a $2.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 17th. This represents a $10.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.17%. Watsco’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.46%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Northcoast Research assumed coverage on Watsco in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Watsco from $550.00 to $540.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Raymond James began coverage on Watsco in a research note on Friday, January 17th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.