Capital Research Global Investors Has $386.54 Million Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in Ferguson by 24% to 1,721,164 shares, a holding worth about $386.54 million and roughly 0.88% of the company.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $262.62, while individual broker views range from Hold to Overweight (Wells Fargo raised its target to $285).
• Ferguson reported an EPS miss of $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected as revenue rose 3.6%, and the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89 (annualized $3.56, ~1.6% yield).

Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 24.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,721,164 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 333,024 shares during the quarter. Capital Research Global Investors owned about 0.88% of Ferguson worth $386,539,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% in the 1st 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 Ferguson in the 1st quarter worth approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Ferguson by 22.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company's stock valued at $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth $257,000. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,035 shares of the company's stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ferguson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $262.62.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of FERG stock opened at $227.98 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $248.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.66.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.52 earnings per share. Ferguson's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson's payout ratio is 35.96%.

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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