Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Sells 17,205 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lowered its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 72.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,543 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,205 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,137,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth about $372,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth about $85,343,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $86,000. SWAN Capital LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 793 shares of the company's stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in Ferguson by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 8,466 shares of the company's stock worth $1,469,000 after acquiring an additional 458 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on FERG. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Berenberg Bank reissued a "hold" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, June 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $217.07.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG traded up $0.35 during trading on Thursday, reaching $213.78. 1,153,382 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,654,461. 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 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. The business's fifty day moving average is $176.83 and its 200-day moving average is $178.41.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 20th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.55%. Ferguson's payout ratio is 41.40%.

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.