Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Crow s Nest Holdings LP

Key Points

• Crow’s Nest Holdings reduced its Ferguson stake by 37.2% in the second quarter, selling 45,000 shares and retaining 76,000 shares worth approximately $18.0 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 81.98% of the company.
• Ferguson reported quarterly EPS of $3.39, exceeding the $3.23 analyst consensus, on revenue of $8.75 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89, representing a 1.6% annualized yield.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.57, compared with the stock’s reported price of $228.53.

Crow s Nest Holdings LP trimmed its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 37.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 76,000 shares of the company's stock after selling 45,000 shares during the quarter. Ferguson accounts for 5.5% of Crow s Nest Holdings LP's portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Crow s Nest Holdings LP's holdings in Ferguson were worth $18,037,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its stake in Ferguson by 123.4% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 143 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG stock opened at $228.53 on Monday. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $207.64 and a 52 week high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.21 billion, a PE ratio of 26.85, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock's fifty day moving average is $235.52 and its 200-day moving average is $238.07.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The business 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%. Equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $281.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $261.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ferguson from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $285.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total value 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. The trade was a 35.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the company's stock.

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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