Ferguson plc $FERG Stock Position Decreased by M&G PLC

M&G PLC decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 48.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 101,353 shares of the company’s stock after selling 96,063 shares during the quarter. M&G PLC owned about 0.05% of Ferguson worth $22,678,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in Ferguson by 23.0% in the third quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,651 shares of the company’s stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $989,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 68,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,413,000 after purchasing an additional 2,111 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 1.4% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 15,633 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,511,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 13.7% in the third quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 1,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $364,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $261.34 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $146.00 and a one year high of $271.64. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $240.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.77. The stock has a market cap of $51.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.45 EPS.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.00.

About Ferguson

Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.