Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG increased its holdings in Ferguson plc by 32.5%, acquiring an additional 8,788 shares, bringing its total to 35,807 shares valued at approximately $5.7 million.
• Many institutional investors have shown significant interest in Ferguson, with the majority of the stock—81.98%—currently owned by these entities, indicating strong market confidence.
• Analysts generally favor Ferguson, with ten rating it as a Buy and a consensus price target averaging $220.64, reflecting a positive outlook on the company's future performance.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG grew its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 32.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 35,807 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,788 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Ferguson were worth $5,737,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Grove Bank & Trust grew 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 purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew 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 purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 103.6% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of Ferguson stock traded down $3.11 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $231.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,271,018 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,682,721. The company's 50-day moving average is $224.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $193.09. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $238.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $45.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15.

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, beating the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $2.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price target for the company. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $220.64.

Ferguson Company Profile

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.