VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Buys New Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems purchased 97,100 Ferguson shares worth approximately $23.0 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 81.98% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Ferguson receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.57; recent targets range as high as $313.
• Ferguson exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.39 in EPS versus the $3.23 consensus estimate, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share, equivalent to a 1.6% annual yield.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 97,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,045,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.05% of Ferguson at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 659,054 shares of the company's stock valued at $156,413,000 after buying an additional 25,745 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 23,684.2% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 69,745,828 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,552,777,000 after acquiring an additional 69,452,584 shares in the last quarter. Greenland Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,481,000. Saudi Central Bank boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 88.5% during the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 13,607 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,229,000 after acquiring an additional 6,389 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Angeles Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at about $221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ferguson news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total value of $1,195,472.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 9,490 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,191,430.80. The trade was a 35.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.15% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price objective on Ferguson in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $261.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $285.57.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $228.53 on Tuesday. 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 cap of $44.21 billion, a PE ratio of 26.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.13. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $207.64 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The company's 50-day moving average price is $235.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $237.85.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.83%.

About Ferguson

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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