Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Decreases Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. reduced its holdings in Ferguson plc by 92.5%, owning only 2,599 shares after selling 32,118 shares during the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors, including LGT Financial Advisors and Grove Bank & Trust, increased their stakes in Ferguson, with increases ranging from 106.3% to 247.4% in the first quarter.
• Ferguson recently reported earnings of $2.50 per share, beating estimates and showing a 4.3% year-over-year revenue increase, along with a declared quarterly dividend of $0.83.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 92.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,599 shares of the company's stock after selling 32,118 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in Ferguson were worth $410,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. LGT Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 106.3% during the fourth quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust increased 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 56.5% in the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 166.7% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 103.6% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $233.2480 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $238.16. The company has a market cap of $45.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.00, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.16. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $222.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $191.20.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarter last year, the business posted $2.32 EPS. Ferguson's revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 20th were given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on FERG. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, June 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.

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