WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) Sets New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $319.67 and last traded at $316.3510, with a volume of 14199 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $299.49.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WCC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of WESCO International from $274.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of WESCO International from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of WESCO International from $300.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of WESCO International in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded WESCO International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.00.

WESCO International Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 2.09. The company has a 50-day moving average of $271.82 and a 200-day moving average of $241.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.45.

WESCO International Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.4538 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. WESCO International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other WESCO International news, EVP Christine Ann Wolf sold 4,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.52, for a total value of $1,215,851.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,195 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,836,206.40. This represents a 13.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of WESCO International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WCC. New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of WESCO International by 2.1% during the second quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 26,295 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,870,000 after purchasing an additional 539 shares during the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in WESCO International during the second quarter worth about $227,000. Foster & Motley Inc. acquired a new stake in WESCO International in the 2nd quarter worth about $375,000. ARGA Investment Management LP grew its holdings in WESCO International by 125.5% in the 2nd quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 25,140 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,656,000 after buying an additional 13,989 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of WESCO International by 60.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,163 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $400,000 after acquiring an additional 818 shares during the last quarter. 93.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About WESCO International

WESCO International, Inc is a leading global distributor of electrical, industrial, communications and utility products, serving a diverse customer base across maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and construction markets. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products ranging from power distribution and automation solutions to data communications, security systems and lighting controls. Through an extensive branch network, WESCO provides critical components and value?added services that help organizations streamline operations and improve reliability in their facilities and infrastructure.

In addition to its broad product offering, WESCO delivers advanced supply chain management and logistics solutions designed to optimize inventory levels, reduce downtime and lower overall procurement costs.