Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Position Lessened by AQR Capital Management LLC

AQR Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 317,539 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,520 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.16% of Ferguson worth $55,115,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 32,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,359,000 after buying an additional 7,862 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 778,737 shares of the company's stock valued at $135,247,000 after acquiring an additional 52,776 shares during the period. New York Life Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $587,000. Clean Yield Group raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 27.1% during the 4th quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 25,959 shares of the company's stock worth $4,506,000 after purchasing an additional 5,534 shares during the period. Finally, Markel Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 25.4% in the 4th quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 106,000 shares of the company's stock worth $18,398,000 after purchasing an additional 21,500 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG stock traded down $3.59 on Tuesday, hitting $168.79. 538,958 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,588,696. The stock has a market cap of $33.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $164.10 and a 200-day moving average of $180.76.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business's revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on FERG. Zelman & Associates cut Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $193.00 price target (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $199.38.

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.