Danske Bank A S Increases Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Danske Bank raised its stake in Ferguson by 11% in Q4 and now owns 102,138 shares (~0.05% of the company) worth about $22.74 million, while institutional investors hold roughly 81.98% of the stock.
• Analysts’ consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $267.27, reflecting mixed recent moves (Wells Fargo trimmed its target to $260, while Truist and Jefferies issued $300 targets and buy ratings).
• Ferguson declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89 (annualized $3.56, yield 1.3%; ex-dividend May 15, paid July 8) and recently reported an EPS miss of $1.99 vs. $2.24 consensus while revenue rose 3.6% year‑over‑year.

Danske Bank A S increased its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 11.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 102,138 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,135 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S owned about 0.05% of Ferguson worth $22,739,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ferguson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ferguson from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $267.27.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of FERG stock opened at $264.13 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $166.04 and a 12-month high of $271.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm's 50 day moving average is $243.92 and its 200 day moving average is $243.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.23.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.52 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.96%.

Ferguson Profile

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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