Entropy Technologies LP Buys 31,063 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Entropy Technologies LP raised its stake in Ferguson by 309.7% in Q3, buying an additional 31,063 shares to hold 41,092 shares worth $9.228 million, making FERG its 19th‑largest position (0.7% of the portfolio).
• Ferguson missed quarterly EPS expectations (reported $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected) even as revenue rose 3.6% year‑over‑year, and it announced a quarterly dividend of $0.89 ($3.56 annual, a 1.6% yield).
• Analyst sentiment is mildly positive with an average "Moderate Buy" rating and a mean price target of $268.93; the stock trades at a PE of about 22.2 and a market cap near $42.8 billion.

Entropy Technologies LP raised its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 309.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,092 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 31,063 shares during the quarter. Ferguson comprises 0.7% of Entropy Technologies LP's portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Entropy Technologies LP's holdings in Ferguson were worth $9,228,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 178.3% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth $34,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth $43,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company's stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, CX Institutional grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 9,900.0% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 300 shares of the company's stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $219.81 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $248.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.46. The firm has a market cap of $42.75 billion, a PE ratio of 22.20, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $271.64.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $268.93.

Ferguson News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical/analyst note — Zacks highlights that FERG has fallen ~13.6% over four weeks and is now in oversold territory, arguing that heavy selling may be exhausted and noting strong analyst agreement in upward earnings-estimate revisions that could support a near-term trend reversal. Zacks: Ferguson plc Loses 13.6% in 4 Weeks
• Neutral Sentiment: Unrelated celebrity/entertainment coverage using the "Ferguson" name — multiple articles about actor Rebecca Ferguson (Silo season updates, Dune: Part 3 comments) are circulating but have no material bearing on Ferguson plc's business or financials. Collider: Rebecca Ferguson on Silo
• Neutral Sentiment: Tabloid and royal-family items referencing Sarah Ferguson and other public figures are generating headlines but are unrelated to the industrial distributor Ferguson plc and should not drive fundamentals. (Examples include coverage on social/celebrity developments.) Yahoo: Sarah Ferguson coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (reported Feb. 24) disappointed on EPS vs. consensus (reported $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected), although revenue grew modestly year-over-year. The earnings miss and subsequent profit-taking are key drivers of the recent weakness in FERG shares.

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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