Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC Acquires 9,162 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson plc by 134.3% in Q4, adding 9,162 shares to hold 15,982 shares valued at about $3.56 million, while institutional investors now own 81.98% of the stock.
• Ferguson reported Q4 EPS of $1.99, missing estimates by $0.25, though revenue rose 3.6% year-over-year and the company posted a net margin of 6.93% and ROE of 40.37%.
• Analysts rate Ferguson a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $267.27 (several firms recently raised targets), and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89 ($3.56 annualized, ~1.4% yield).

Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 134.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,982 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,162 shares during the quarter. Asset Advisors Investment Management LLC's holdings in Ferguson were worth $3,558,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on FERG. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Ferguson from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $267.27.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of FERG opened at $257.26 on Monday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $243.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $240.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.99, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $158.68 and a 1-year high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. The company's revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ferguson's payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson NYSE: FERG is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.

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