Sagefield Capital LP Has $9.06 Million Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Sagefield Capital LP lifted its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 50.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 52,204 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 17,506 shares during the period. Ferguson accounts for 1.0% of Sagefield Capital LP's portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Sagefield Capital LP's holdings in Ferguson were worth $9,061,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FERG. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Ferguson by 106.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in Ferguson by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of FERG stock opened at $184.54 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.90 billion, a PE ratio of 22.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The business has a 50-day moving average of $165.13 and a 200 day moving average of $179.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.74 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st were given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on FERG shares. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Zelman & Associates cut shares of Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $174.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $199.38.

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.

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