WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $184.67.

Several research analysts have commented on WCC shares. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded shares of WESCO International from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $202.00 to $173.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. StockNews.com downgraded WESCO International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. KeyCorp raised their price target on WESCO International from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on WESCO International from $203.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on WESCO International from $180.00 to $175.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 15th.

WESCO International Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of WCC opened at $154.14 on Monday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $159.23 and its 200 day moving average is $158.63. The company has a current ratio of 2.48, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. WESCO International has a 12-month low of $121.90 and a 12-month high of $195.43. The company has a market capitalization of $7.85 billion, a PE ratio of 11.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 2.06.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.86 by ($1.21). WESCO International had a net margin of 3.42% and a return on equity of 17.01%. The company had revenue of $5.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.13 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that WESCO International will post 14.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WESCO International Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.4125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from WESCO International’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $1.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.07%. WESCO International’s dividend payout ratio is 12.19%.

Insider Transactions at WESCO International

In other WESCO International news, EVP James Cameron sold 5,352 shares of WESCO International stock in a transaction on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.39, for a total transaction of $836,999.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,253,922.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, EVP Nelson John Squires III sold 3,490 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.00, for a total transaction of $663,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 54,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,333,150. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP James Cameron sold 5,352 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.39, for a total value of $836,999.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,595 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,253,922.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of WESCO International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Park Place Capital Corp increased its stake in WESCO International by 41.3% in the 3rd quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 294 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. KB Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in WESCO International by 76.8% in the 3rd quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC now owns 198 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of WESCO International by 7.3% during the third quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. now owns 1,555 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank raised its stake in shares of WESCO International by 2.1% during the third quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 5,501 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $791,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of WESCO International by 5.1% during the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,497 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. 93.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About WESCO International

WESCO International, Inc provides business-to-business distribution, logistics services, and supply chain solutions in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), Communications & Security Solutions (CSS), and Utility and Broadband Solutions (UBS).