Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Blair William & Co. IL

Key Points

• Blair William & Co. IL cut its stake in Ferguson by 19.1%, selling 7,850 shares and leaving 33,328 shares valued at about $7.49 million.
• Ferguson reported Q results that missed estimates with EPS of $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected, while revenue rose 3.6% year-over-year and the company posted a return on equity of 40.37%.
• The board announced a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share (annualized $3.56, ~1.5% yield; ex-dividend March 6, payable April 30), and analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $262.62.

Blair William & Co. IL cut its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 19.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,328 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,850 shares during the quarter. Blair William & Co. IL's holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,485,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd 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. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $43,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 21.7% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. CX Institutional boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 9,900.0% during the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 300 shares of the company's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 81.4% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 303 shares of the company's stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:FERG opened at $230.47 on Tuesday. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $44.83 billion, a PE ratio of 23.28 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. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $248.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $240.70.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share 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%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FERG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays lifted their target price on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ferguson from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $262.62.

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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