First Pacific Advisors LP Acquires 148,891 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

First Pacific Advisors LP raised its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 13.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,251,631 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 148,891 shares during the period. Ferguson makes up about 3.2% of First Pacific Advisors LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. First Pacific Advisors LP owned approximately 0.63% of Ferguson worth $200,549,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Mission Wealth Management LP raised its holdings in Ferguson by 2.2% in the first quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 3,050 shares of the company's stock worth $489,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. James Hambro & Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. James Hambro & Partners LLP now owns 6,311 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the company's stock worth $211,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 56.5% during the first quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 6.5% in the first quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG traded up $1.84 on Monday, reaching $225.91. 474,830 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,784,463. The company's 50 day moving average is $210.19 and its 200-day moving average is $184.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.54 billion, a PE ratio of 27.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $227.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.44. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.32 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 20th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.47%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Berenberg Bank restated a "hold" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, June 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $280.00 target price for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $220.64.

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.