Fiera Capital Corp Purchases 3,559 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Key Points

• Fiera Capital Corp increased its investment in Ferguson plc by 37.5%, acquiring an additional 3,559 shares, bringing its total holdings to 13,042 shares valued at approximately $2.09 million.
• Ferguson plc reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.50 for its latest quarter, surpassing analyst expectations of $2.06, with a revenue increase of 4.3% year-over-year.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $3.32 and a dividend yield of 1.47%.

Fiera Capital Corp grew its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 37.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,042 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,559 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp's holdings in Ferguson were worth $2,090,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Grove Bank & Trust grew its stake in Ferguson by 247.4% in the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 166.7% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 56.5% in the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 106.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 1st quarter worth about $46,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $225.74 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $44.51 billion, a PE ratio of 27.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $228.80. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $185.58.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They set a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 price objective (up from $195.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, June 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.

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