Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group cut its stake in Ferguson plc by 30.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 7,365 shares and leaving it with 17,134 shares valued at about $3.8 million.
• Despite some mixed moves among institutions, Ferguson remains heavily owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors, which control 81.98% of the stock.
• Analysts are generally constructive on Ferguson: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, and the company recently beat earnings expectations, reported a quarterly dividend, and authorized a $2 billion share repurchase program.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 30.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,134 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,365 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Ferguson were worth $3,815,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Markel Group Inc. grew its stake in Ferguson by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 163,500 shares of the company's stock worth $36,400,000 after purchasing an additional 16,500 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 168.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the company's stock worth $269,000 after acquiring an additional 759 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 114.5% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 429 shares of the company's stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 50.4% in the fourth quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 9,358 shares of the company's stock worth $2,083,000 after acquiring an additional 3,137 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial increased their target price on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Barclays increased their target price on Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Ferguson from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $269.73.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.0%

FERG stock opened at $223.37 on Tuesday. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $176.26 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The business's 50-day moving average is $240.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $242.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. The company has a market cap of $43.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.23.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.92% and a net margin of 6.98%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.50 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.40%.

Ferguson declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Ferguson Company Profile

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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