Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Purchases 87,731 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its ownership in Ferguson plc by purchasing 87,731 shares, bringing its total stake to approximately 1.73 million shares, valued at $277.5 million.
• Institutional investors collectively own 81.98% of Ferguson's stock, with notable increases in holdings from firms like Bank of New York Mellon Corp and Massachusetts Financial Services Co., MA.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Ferguson, with an average price target of $220.64 and price upgrades from various analysts to above $230.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 5.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,732,072 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 87,731 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.87% of Ferguson worth $277,533,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. English Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,860,000. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. grew its holdings in Ferguson by 41.2% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 24,000 shares of the company's stock worth $3,846,000 after acquiring an additional 7,000 shares during the last quarter. OneAscent Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $479,000. Ground Swell Capital LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $299,000. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund grew its holdings in Ferguson by 22.2% during the 1st quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 48,400 shares of the company's stock worth $7,755,000 after acquiring an additional 8,800 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FERG traded down $1.4730 on Thursday, reaching $229.0970. 770,871 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,702,358. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market cap of $45.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.16. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $235.12. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $222.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $190.46.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share 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%. Ferguson's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.32 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 20th were given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 20th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, June 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.