Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $195.00 to $220.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price suggests a potential upside of 2.32% from the stock's previous close.

FERG has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup cut their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $217.07.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.9%

NASDAQ FERG traded up $4.01 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $215.01. The company's stock had a trading volume of 837,217 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,650,949. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $173.52 and a 200 day moving average of $177.86. Ferguson has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $225.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.80, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. 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 (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.44. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.32 EPS. Ferguson's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Ferguson will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FERG. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 247.4% during the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 166.7% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 56.5% in the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, LGT Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 106.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Company 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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