BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments Takes Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 18,405 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,191,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Algert Global LLC raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 6,623 shares of the company's stock worth $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $49,267,000. Armor Advisors L.L.C. bought a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth $10,345,000. 59 North Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Ferguson by 35.5% in the fourth quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP now owns 824,470 shares of the company's stock worth $143,103,000 after purchasing an additional 215,899 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wahed Invest LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 5,022 shares of the company's stock valued at $872,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.5 %

FERG opened at $172.30 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The stock has a market cap of $34.45 billion, a PE ratio of 20.68, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50 day moving average of $164.17 and a 200-day moving average of $180.98.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.74 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.93%. Ferguson's payout ratio is 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on FERG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.

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