Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $217.07.

FERG has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Berenberg Bank restated a "hold" rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, June 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, March 17th. They issued a "peer perform" rating for the company.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

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

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $212.34 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.87 billion, a PE ratio of 25.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. 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 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company's fifty day moving average price is $179.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $178.39.

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 analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the firm earned $2.32 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ferguson will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 20th will be issued a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Ferguson's payout ratio is 41.40%.

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.

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