Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $227.17 and last traded at $226.05, with a volume of 118618 shares. The stock had previously closed at $223.05.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 6th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 price target (up from $195.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $220.64.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on FERG
Ferguson Price Performance
The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The business's 50 day moving average price is $210.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $184.53. The company has a market cap of $44.18 billion, a PE ratio of 26.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17.
Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.44. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.32 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.
Ferguson Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 20th will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is 41.40%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hemington Wealth Management increased its holdings in Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in Ferguson by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,394 shares of the company's stock worth $1,185,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in Ferguson by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the company's stock worth $222,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 2.2% in the first quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 3,050 shares of the company's stock valued at $489,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, James Hambro & Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 1.1% in the first quarter. James Hambro & Partners LLP now owns 6,311 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,011,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About Ferguson
(
Get Free Report)
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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