Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec

Key Points

• Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec has significantly reduced its stake in Ferguson plc by 64.7%, owning just 5,144 shares after selling 9,414 in the first quarter.
• Analysts have shown optimism for Ferguson, with price targets ranging from $220.00 to $280.00, and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• Ferguson reported earnings of $2.50 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding expectations, with revenue up by 4.3% year-over-year.

Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec trimmed its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 64.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,144 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,414 shares during the period. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec's holdings in Ferguson were worth $824,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Ferguson by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,394 shares of the company's stock worth $1,185,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Compound Planning Inc. grew its stake in Ferguson by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,386 shares of the company's stock worth $222,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Mission Wealth Management LP grew its stake in Ferguson by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 3,050 shares of the company's stock worth $489,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. James Hambro & Partners LLP grew its stake in Ferguson by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. James Hambro & Partners LLP now owns 6,311 shares of the company's stock worth $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the company's stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.2%

Ferguson stock traded down $0.48 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $229.21. 702,201 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,676,986. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $238.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market cap of $45.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.52, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15. The company's 50-day moving average is $225.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $193.67.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 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%. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.32 EPS. Ferguson's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Berenberg Bank reissued a "hold" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, June 5th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, June 9th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price objective for the company. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average 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.