WSO vs HPQ Comparison

Watsco is the largest HVAC and refrigeration products distributor in North America with approximately 13% market share. The company primarily operates in the United States (90% of revenue) with significant exposure in the Sunbelt states. Watsco also has operations in Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The company's customer base comprises more than 120,000 dealers and contractors serving the replacement and new-construction HVAC/R markets for residential and light-commercial applications. As much as 20% of residential HVAC units are distributed through Watsco in any given year. Revenue is approximately 75%-80% residential HVAC and 20%-25% commercial, with relatively small exposure to more complex "applied" solutions.

HP (formerly Hewlett-Packard) is a behemoth in the PC and printing markets. It has focused on these markets since it exited IT infrastructure in 2015 with the split from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. HP focuses on the commercial market, but maintains sales of consumer devices and printers. The firm has a broad and global customer base, with only one third of sales coming from the US. HP completely outsources manufacturing and relies heavily on channel partners for its sales and marketing.