2,559 Shares in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Acquired by Focus Partners Wealth

Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $448,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. LGT Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on FERG. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $189.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $199.38.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock traded down $1.11 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $178.19. The company had a trading volume of 1,551,032 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,626,201. 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 plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The company has a market capitalization of $35.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $167.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $178.35.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.74 EPS. The business's revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st were paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.84%.

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.