Russell Investments Group Ltd. Raises Stock Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 25.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 123,567 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 25,131 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.06% of Ferguson worth $23,849,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Markel Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 541.7% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 38,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,433,000 after buying an additional 32,500 shares during the last quarter. K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $1,506,000. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Ferguson by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,676 shares of the company's stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 5,651 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,091,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cumberland Partners Ltd raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Cumberland Partners Ltd now owns 27,765 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,361,000 after purchasing an additional 3,865 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG stock traded up $1.86 on Thursday, reaching $213.29. The company had a trading volume of 1,011,664 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,128,993. The business's 50-day moving average is $212.78 and its 200 day moving average is $190.49. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $137.12 and a one year high of $224.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.26 billion, a PE ratio of 24.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.77 and a beta of 1.26.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.82 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.00% and a return on equity of 37.99%. Ferguson's revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.91 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.48%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ferguson from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Raymond James downgraded Ferguson from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $166.50.

About Ferguson

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.