M&G Investment Management Ltd. Reduces Stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

M&G Investment Management Ltd. decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 22.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 331,482 shares of the company's stock after selling 94,333 shares during the period. M&G Investment Management Ltd. owned about 0.16% of Ferguson worth $63,999,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 146.1% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.9 %

FERG traded up $1.98 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $220.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 720,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,088,468. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock's 50-day moving average is $214.73 and its 200-day moving average is $194.88. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $142.27 and a 1 year high of $224.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.67, a PEG ratio of 9.18 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 analysts' consensus estimates of $1.82 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.99% and a net margin of 6.00%. The company's revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.91 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th were issued a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.43%. Ferguson's payout ratio is currently 36.74%.

Ferguson 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.