Watsco, Inc. announces a 10% annual dividend increase, reflecting strong cash flow and commitment to shareholder returns.
Quiver AI Summary
Watsco, Inc. announced a 10% increase in its annual dividend to $13.20 per share, effective with its next quarterly payment in April 2026. The company's Chairman & CEO, Albert H. Nahmad, expressed confidence in Watsco's business prospects, supported by strong cash flow and a solid balance sheet. Watsco has a long history of paying dividends for 52 years and aims to balance cash flow distribution with a conservative financial strategy while considering future dividend changes based on investment opportunities and economic conditions. As the largest distributor in the North American HVAC/R market, Watsco is focused on long-term growth through technological innovation, digital engagement with contractors, and AI-driven initiatives to enhance customer experiences.
Potential Positives
- Watsco, Inc. announced a 10% increase in its annual dividend, raising it to $13.20 per share, which is a positive indicator of the company's financial health and commitment to rewarding shareholders.
- The company has a strong history of dividend payments, having distributed dividends to shareholders for 52 consecutive years, demonstrating stability and reliability in its financial performance.
- Watsco's investment in industry-leading technology platforms and AI-driven initiatives enhances its competitive position and is expected to drive future growth, benefiting shareholders.
- Albert H. Nahmad, the Chairman & CEO, expressed confidence in the company's prospects, reinforcing positive sentiment regarding its future financial performance.
Potential Negatives
- The announcement of a dividend increase, while generally positive, may raise concerns among investors about the sustainability of that increase if economic conditions change, as indicated by the mention of factors that could impact future dividends.
- The reference to "forward-looking statements" highlights the uncertainty and risks in the company's outlook, which could lead to investor apprehension regarding future financial performance.
- The potential impact of market competition and supplier concentration on Watsco’s business operations may signal vulnerabilities that could affect profitability and market position.
FAQ
What is the recent dividend increase announced by Watsco?
Watsco announced a 10% increase in its annual dividend to $13.20 per share on outstanding shares.
When will the new dividend rate take effect?
The increased dividend rate will be reflected in the next quarterly payment in April 2026.
How long has Watsco been paying dividends?
Watsco has paid dividends to shareholders for 52 consecutive years.
What factors influence Watsco's future dividend changes?
Future dividend changes will consider investment opportunities, cash flow, economic conditions, and Watsco's financial condition.
What role does technology play in Watsco's business strategy?
Watsco invests in technology and AI-driven initiatives to enhance customer experience and improve efficiencies.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$WSO Revenue
$WSO had revenues of $2.1B in Q3 2025. This is a decrease of -4.31% from the same period in the prior year.
You can track WSO financials on Quiver Quantitative's WSO stock page.
$WSO Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress have traded $WSO stock 1 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $WSO stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:
- REPRESENTATIVE VAL T. HOYLE sold up to $15,000 on 09/23.
To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard.
$WSO Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 315 institutional investors add shares of $WSO stock to their portfolio, and 493 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS added 2,356,998 shares (+103.1%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $794,190,476
- M&T BANK CORP added 598,677 shares (+60779.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $201,724,215
- UBS AM, A DISTINCT BUSINESS UNIT OF UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC removed 387,598 shares (-75.1%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $130,601,146
- MORGAN STANLEY added 211,924 shares (+34.6%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $71,407,791
- CAPITAL WORLD INVESTORS removed 200,000 shares (-31.5%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $67,390,000
- TWO SIGMA INVESTMENTS, LP added 171,654 shares (+12054.4%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $69,399,712
- RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGIES LLC added 167,080 shares (+120.9%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $56,297,606
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$WSO Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $WSO recently. We have seen 4 analysts offer price targets for $WSO in the last 6 months, with a median target of $370.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Stephen Tusa from JP Morgan set a target price of $370.0 on 01/16/2026
- Christopher Snyder from Morgan Stanley set a target price of $370.0 on 01/14/2026
- Damian Karas from UBS set a target price of $370.0 on 01/05/2026
- Dan Dolev from Mizuho set a target price of $370.0 on 01/05/2026
Full Release
MIAMI, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO) announced that its Board of Directors approved a 10% increase in its annual dividend to $13.20 per share on each outstanding share of its Common and Class B common stock. The increase will be reflected in the Company’s next quarterly dividend payment in April 2026.
Albert H. Nahmad, Watsco’s Chairman & CEO stated: “We are pleased to increase dividends to shareholders, which reflects our confidence in the prospects of our business and is supported by our strong cash flow and balance sheet.”
Watsco has paid dividends to shareholders for 52 consecutive years. The Company’s philosophy is to share cash flow through dividends while keeping a conservative balance sheet with continued capacity to build its distribution network. Future changes in dividends will be considered in light of investment opportunities, cash flow, general economic conditions and Watsco’s overall financial condition.
About Watsco
Watsco is the largest distributor in the highly-fragmented North American HVAC/R market. Watsco’s solid financial position and culture of innovation has enabled investments in long-term growth, including the Company’s industry-leading technology platforms. Today, approximately 73,000 contractors, installers and technicians engage digitally with the Company, resulting in improved growth and lower attrition. The Company is now advancing AI-driven initiatives to leverage its extensive data assets to enhance the customer experience and improve efficiencies. These investments position Watsco to capture market share as contractors increasingly adopt digital tools and incorporate data-driven solutions in their businesses.
This document includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may address, among other things, our expected financial and operational results and the related assumptions underlying our expected results. These forward-looking statements are distinguished by use of words such as “will,” “would,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “designed,” “plan,” or “intend,” the negative of these terms, and similar references to future periods. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in economic, business, competitive market, new housing starts and completions, capital spending in commercial construction, consumer spending and debt levels, regulatory and other factors, including, without limitation, the effects of supplier concentration, competitive conditions within Watsco’s industry, the seasonal nature of sales of Watsco’s products, the ability of the Company to expand its business, insurance coverage risks and final GAAP adjustments. Detailed information about these factors and additional important factors can be found in the documents that Watsco files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, such as Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements were made. Watsco assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
Barry S. Logan
Executive Vice President
(305) 714-4102
e-mail: [email protected]