Two Sigma Securities LLC Invests $1.14 Million in Ferguson plc $FERG

Two Sigma Securities LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 4,816 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,143,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 123.4% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 143 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $224.81 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $236.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.20. The company has a market cap of $43.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $207.64 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Ferguson declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on FERG. Weiss Ratings upgraded Ferguson from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $265.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.93.

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.