Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Sells 1,971 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich reduced its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 3.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 57,251 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,971 shares during the quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich's holdings in Ferguson were worth $9,297,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LGT Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Ferguson by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 247.4% in the 1st 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 grew its position 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 166.7% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 1st quarter worth about $46,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.2%

Ferguson stock traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $224.08. The stock had a trading volume of 1,110,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,793,970. The company has a market capitalization of $44.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $210.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $184.53. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $146.00 and a one year high of $227.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.32 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 20th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $220.64.

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.