ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Purchases New Shares in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. recently acquired a new position in Ferguson plc, purchasing 4,404 shares valued at approximately $706,000.
• Ferguson announced a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $3.32 and a yield of 1.5%.
• Several analysts have shown confidence in Ferguson, with ratings upgraded and target prices set as high as $250.00 from Wells Fargo.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 4,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $706,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. US Bancorp DE grew 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 purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 2.2% in the 1st 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 last quarter. 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. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the company's stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective 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. Berenberg Bank restated a "hold" rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, June 5th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $220.64.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.5%

Ferguson stock traded down $1.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $228.61. The stock had a trading volume of 607,087 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,720,219. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $230.38. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $220.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $188.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.08 billion, a PE ratio of 27.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.16.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.44. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.32 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 20th were issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 20th. Ferguson's payout ratio is currently 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.