Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Purchased by Yousif Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Yousif Capital Management increased its Ferguson stake by 383.9% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 19,338 shares valued at approximately $4.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 81.98% of the company.
• Ferguson reported quarterly earnings of $3.39 per share, beating estimates of $3.23, on revenue of $8.75 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share, equivalent to a 1.6% yield.
• Insiders sold 38,808 shares worth $8.57 million over the past 90 days, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $287.28, above the stock’s reported $229.56 price.

Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 383.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,338 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,342 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC's holdings in Ferguson were worth $4,305,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 35.1% in the third quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 1,645 shares of the company's stock valued at $366,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 36.1% during the third quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 1,698 shares of the company's stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the period. Kachkovsky & Fisher Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $338,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 7.0% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,474 shares of the company's stock worth $551,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 6.0% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,797 shares of the company's stock worth $623,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,490 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,191,430.80. This represents a 35.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kevin Murphy sold 11,259 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total value of $2,440,726.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 173,863 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,690,021.14. This represents a 6.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 38,808 shares of company stock valued at $8,571,587. Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $229.56 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $226.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $237.26. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $212.13 and a one year high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.41 billion, a PE ratio of 26.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Ferguson from $325.00 to $315.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Ferguson from $295.00 to $292.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $261.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $287.28.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc NYSE: FERG is a value-added distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), waterworks, fire protection and other building and industrial products. The company serves professional contractors, municipalities, commercial and industrial businesses, and other customers through a network of branches, distribution centers, showrooms and digital platforms.

Its product offering includes pipes, valves, fittings, plumbing fixtures, water and wastewater infrastructure products, HVAC equipment, fire protection systems, industrial supplies and related tools and services.

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