Analysts Set Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Price Target at $285.57

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $285.5707.

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 target price on Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $261.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ferguson news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,490 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,191,430.80. This represents a 35.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 23.9% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the first quarter worth approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at approximately $257,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.1%

Ferguson stock opened at $222.75 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Ferguson has a 12-month low of $207.64 and a 12-month high of $271.64. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $234.68 and its 200 day moving average is $236.93. The company has a market capitalization of $43.09 billion, a PE ratio of 26.18, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.13.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The business had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a value-added distributor of plumbing and heating products, water and wastewater solutions, fire protection equipment, HVAC supplies, and related products. The company primarily serves professional contractors and other trade customers, helping them source products, obtain technical support, and manage projects through its distribution network and digital platforms.

Ferguson operates mainly in North America, with businesses serving residential and commercial construction, infrastructure, facilities maintenance, and industrial markets in the United States and Canada.