First Financial Bankshares Inc Buys 8,286 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

First Financial Bankshares Inc increased its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 403.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,340 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,286 shares during the period. First Financial Bankshares Inc’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $2,322,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its stake in Ferguson by 1,588.9% in the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of FERG opened at $251.31 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $244.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $239.18. The stock has a market cap of $49.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.18. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $271.64.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on FERG. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.00.

Ferguson Profile

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.