WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) Trading Up 4.9% – Should You Buy?

WESCO International, Inc. (NYSE:WCC) shares were up 4.9% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $195.99 and last traded at $194.47. Approximately 584,908 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 607,698 shares. The stock had previously closed at $185.30.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of WESCO International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on WESCO International from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on WESCO International from $186.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of WESCO International from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded WESCO International from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $215.88.

WESCO International Stock Up 0.9 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $187.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $179.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 2.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 2.01.

WESCO International (NYSE:WCC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The technology company reported $3.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.23 by ($0.07). WESCO International had a net margin of 3.19% and a return on equity of 13.19%. As a group, analysts forecast that WESCO International, Inc. will post 12.3 EPS for the current year.

WESCO International Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.4125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.65 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.88%. WESCO International’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WESCO International

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WCC. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC raised its holdings in shares of WESCO International by 341.8% during the third quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 258,486 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $43,420,000 after purchasing an additional 199,975 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in WESCO International by 142.8% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 30,063 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $5,050,000 after purchasing an additional 17,682 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in WESCO International by 3.0% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 762,653 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $128,143,000 after acquiring an additional 22,080 shares during the period. EMC Capital Management boosted its stake in WESCO International by 580.8% in the third quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 16,094 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,703,000 after acquiring an additional 13,730 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its stake in WESCO International by 1.5% in the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 194,979 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $32,753,000 after acquiring an additional 2,923 shares during the last quarter. 93.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

WESCO International Company Profile

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).