Westerkirk Capital Inc. Purchases 7,371 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Westerkirk Capital Inc. raised its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 24,671 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,371 shares during the period. Westerkirk Capital Inc.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $5,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd 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 period. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $43,000. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 61.3% during the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at about $58,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $255.08 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $49.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.18. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The company has a 50 day moving average of $243.75 and a 200-day moving average of $238.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Key Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson plc declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.89 per share (record date Mar 6, payable Apr 30; ex-dividend Mar 6). The payout boosts shareholder income and supports the stock’s yield profile (reported yield ~1.4%).
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a favorable view: consensus rating reported as “Moderate Buy,” which may underpin demand from income and growth-focused investors. Ferguson plc Given Consensus Recommendation of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Most headlines in the feed relate to Sarah Ferguson (ex-wife of Prince Andrew) — a cluster of celebrity/royal scandal stories and business closures tied to her name. These are unrelated to Ferguson plc’s operations and fundamentals but can create short-term name confusion in news/social feeds. Representative long-form coverage: Tainted by Scandal, the Former Prince’s Ex-wife and Daughters Keep a Low Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets report dissolutions/closures of businesses linked to Sarah Ferguson; again, this concerns an individual and her private ventures, not Ferguson plc. Example: six businesses reportedly closing. Six businesses linked to former Prince Andrew’s ex-wife to close
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate local policy item mentions “Ferguson and Republicans want a sales tax exemption on diapers in Washington.” This appears to refer to a legislator or local actor, not Ferguson plc; relevance to the company’s US operations is unclear. Ferguson and Republicans want a sales tax exemption on diapers

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Friday, January 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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.