Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Watsco, Inc. $WSO

Posted by Brian Himes on Jul 26th, 2026

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. reduced its position in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO – Free Report) by 1.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 133,469 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,662 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Watsco were worth $48,555,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Watsco in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Bayban bought a new position in shares of Watsco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in shares of Watsco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Watsco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. 89.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Watsco Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of WSO stock opened at $362.43 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $384.38 and a 200-day moving average of $393.21. Watsco, Inc. has a 12-month low of $323.05 and a 12-month high of $493.66. The firm has a market cap of $14.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.08 and a beta of 1.02.

Watsco (NYSE:WSO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The construction company reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.14. Watsco had a net margin of 6.85% and a return on equity of 15.31%. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Watsco’s revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Watsco, Inc. will post 12.9 EPS for the current year.

Watsco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 16th will be paid a $3.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 16th. This represents a $13.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Watsco’s payout ratio is presently 109.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on WSO shares. DA Davidson assumed coverage on Watsco in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $385.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Watsco from $370.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Watsco from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Watsco in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on shares of Watsco from $475.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $402.71.

View Our Latest Analysis on WSO

About Watsco

(Free Report)

Watsco, Inc is the largest distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment, parts and supplies in the United States. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company operates a network of more than 600 branches across the continental U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Watsco serves residential and commercial contractors by providing essential components for climate control systems, including air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, coils, refrigerants, controls and electrical and piping supplies.

Founded in 1947, Watsco has grown from a single regional distributor into an industry leader through a combination of organic expansion, acquisitions and strategic partnerships with original equipment manufacturers such as Carrier, Trane, Goodman and Lennox.