Anchor Capital Advisors LLC Invests $34.13 Million in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 176,786 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,132,000. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Ferguson as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 2,291.7% during the fourth quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 287 shares of the company's stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ferguson from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Raymond James cut Ferguson from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $166.50.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ FERG traded up $1.91 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $215.24. 697,341 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,132,051. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.80. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $137.12 and a 52-week high of $224.86. The business's fifty day moving average price is $212.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $190.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.65 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.91 and a beta of 1.27.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.82 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $6.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.00% and a return on equity of 37.99%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.91 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.74%.

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.