6,644 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Acquired by EULAV Asset Management

Key Points

• EULAV Asset Management acquired 6,644 Ferguson shares worth approximately $1.48 million during the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 81.98% of the company.
• Ferguson reported quarterly EPS of $3.39, exceeding analysts’ $3.23 consensus estimate, on revenue of $8.75 billion. Analysts expect full-year EPS of approximately $11.42.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.89, or $3.56 annualized, representing a 1.6% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $287.28, compared with the stock’s reported $226.99 price.

EULAV Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 6,644 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,479,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,840 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,077,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $216,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,322 shares of the company's stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth $354,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $226.99 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $43.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.67, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $212.13 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $225.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $234.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Ferguson from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Ferguson from $290.00 to $270.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $287.28.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In related news, COO William Thees, Jr. sold 353 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total transaction of $79,248.50. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 31,745 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,126,752.50. This represents a 1.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Allison Stirrup sold 922 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $207,450.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,038 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,583,550. This trade represents a 11.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 38,808 shares of company stock valued at $8,571,587 over the last quarter. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc NYSE: FERG is a value-added distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), waterworks, fire protection and other building and industrial products. The company serves professional contractors, municipalities, commercial and industrial businesses, and other customers through a network of branches, distribution centers, showrooms and digital platforms.

Its product offering includes pipes, valves, fittings, plumbing fixtures, water and wastewater infrastructure products, HVAC equipment, fire protection systems, industrial supplies and related tools and services.

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