Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Purchases Shares of 109,073 Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Aware Super disclosed a new first-quarter position in Ferguson plc, buying 109,073 shares valued at about $25.4 million, or roughly 0.06% of the company.
• Wall Street sentiment remains constructive: Ferguson has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy, with an average price target of $276.61 after several firms raised targets or maintained bullish ratings.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $2.28 per share on $7.47 billion in revenue, and its board authorized a $2 billion share repurchase program alongside a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share.

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 109,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,442,000. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super owned approximately 0.06% of Ferguson at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company's stock worth $2,445,000 after buying an additional 2,940 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the first quarter valued at approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company's stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $257,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Ferguson by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company's stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on FERG. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ferguson from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays raised their target price on Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ferguson from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $276.61.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $233.76 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $207.64 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $230.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.36.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 38.81%. The firm had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.50 EPS. Ferguson's revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.27 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is 41.40%.

About Ferguson

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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