Brokerages Set Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Target Price at $235.71

Key Points

• Ferguson plc has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from 16 brokerages, with an average 1-year target price of $235.71.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, with an annualized yield of 1.4% and a payout ratio of 35.55%.
• Institutional investors currently hold 81.98% of Ferguson's stock, with significant recent increases in holdings by firms like T. Rowe Price and Franklin Resources.

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $235.7143.

FERG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.6%

NASDAQ FERG traded up $3.64 on Monday, hitting $233.05. The stock had a trading volume of 2,277,412 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,773,648. The business's fifty day moving average price is $226.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $198.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. Ferguson has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $243.40. The stock has a market cap of $45.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 26th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 35.55%.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 3.5% during the second quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,342 shares of the company's stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company's stock worth $150,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.8% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,394 shares of the company's stock worth $1,185,000 after buying an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 4.6% in the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the company's stock worth $222,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ferguson

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.