Dudley & Shanley Inc. Has $16.44 Million Stake in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Dudley & Shanley Inc. reduced its stake in Ferguson plc by 25.3%, selling 25,625 shares, and now owns 75,500 shares valued at approximately $16.4 million.
• Ferguson recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, which equates to an annualized dividend of $3.32 and a yield of 1.5%.
• Ferguson plc has a current market capitalization of $42.27 billion and a consensus target price from analysts of $221.00, indicating a favorable outlook with several "buy" ratings.

Dudley & Shanley Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 25.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 75,500 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,625 shares during the period. Ferguson comprises about 2.6% of Dudley & Shanley Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Dudley & Shanley Inc.'s holdings in Ferguson were worth $16,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 25.2% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,395 shares of the company's stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth $262,000. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the first quarter worth $1,345,000. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at $137,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at $26,785,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.1%

Ferguson stock traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $229.33. The company had a trading volume of 2,885,933 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,770,834. 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 capitalization of $45.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $243.40. The firm's fifty day moving average is $226.91 and its 200-day moving average is $198.11.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 26th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.55%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, June 5th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $235.71.

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.