Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,881 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,751 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $11,435,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Ferguson by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 32,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,359,000 after acquiring an additional 7,862 shares in the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $970,000. Clean Yield Group lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 27.1% during the fourth quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 25,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,506,000 after purchasing an additional 5,534 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 79.6% in the third quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 646,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,217,000 after purchasing an additional 286,691 shares during the period. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 66.2% in the third quarter. Entropy Technologies LP now owns 51,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,256,000 after purchasing an additional 20,580 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FERG opened at $171.84 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $34.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.24. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $167.27 and a twelve month high of $225.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $178.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.87. 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 Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were given a $0.83 dividend. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.93%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 39.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Zelman & Associates cut Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price target (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $217.73.

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.