WSO-B WATSCO INC

NYSE Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies FL CIK: 0000105016
AI RATING
BUY
72% Confidence

Investment Thesis

Watsco demonstrates fortress-like financial health with exceptional liquidity (4.12x current ratio), minimal leverage (0.13x D/E), and strong cash generation ($535M FCF), making it fundamentally sound despite concerning EPS dilution. The company's solid profitability (10% operating margin, 17.9% ROE) and conservative capital structure position it well for economic resilience, though shareholder value is being eroded by significant share dilution despite net income growth.

Strengths

  • + Fortress balance sheet with $433M cash exceeding $362M debt and negligible leverage risk
  • + Exceptional liquidity with 4.12x current ratio and 2.18x quick ratio; immediate obligations easily covered
  • + Strong cash flow generation with $535M FCF and 7.4% FCF margin, supporting capital returns and financial flexibility
  • + Solid profitability with 10% operating margin and healthy 17.9% ROE, well-suited for wholesale distribution sector
  • + Minimal financial risk with 362.3x interest coverage; debt service is trivial relative to operating earnings

Risks

  • ! Significant shareholder dilution evidenced by 7.9% EPS decline despite 7.1% net income growth, destroying per-share value
  • ! Thin net margin of 6.9% leaves limited cushion for operational disruption or pricing pressure in competitive wholesale markets
  • ! Revenue data anomaly (+41,675% YoY) suggests undisclosed material acquisition or data quality issue requiring urgent clarification; integration risk if material
  • ! Low net margin dependent on operational efficiency; vulnerability to input cost inflation or competitive margin compression

Key Metrics to Watch

Financial Metrics

Revenue
7.2B
Net Income
497.0M
EPS (Diluted)
$12.25
Free Cash Flow
535.1M
Total Assets
4.4B
Cash
433.3M

Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin 28.0%
Operating Margin 10.0%
Net Margin 6.9%
ROE 17.9%
ROA 11.3%
FCF Margin 7.4%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
4.12x
Quick Ratio
2.18x
Debt/Equity
0.13x
Debt/Assets
0.0%
Interest Coverage
362.35x
Long-term Debt
361.6M
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: 2026-04-19T10:06:24.124291 | Data as of: 2025-12-31 | Powered by Claude AI