Two Sigma Securities LLC Acquires New Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 4,816 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,143,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in Ferguson by 123.4% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 143 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Ferguson from $281.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ferguson from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. 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 report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $285.93.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $224.81 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $236.68 and a 200-day moving average of $239.20. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $207.64 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.42, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The business had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. As a group, analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current 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 paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

Ferguson announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board believes its shares are 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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