Ferguson plc $FERG Position Increased by First Eagle Investment Management LLC

First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 659,054 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 25,745 shares during the quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $156,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its position 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Ferguson from $281.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price objective on Ferguson in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.57.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total value of $1,195,472.84. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,490 shares in the company, valued at $2,191,430.80. This represents a 35.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $228.53 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.85, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $235.52 and a 200-day moving average of $238.07. 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 plc has a 12-month low of $207.64 and a 12-month high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The business 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%. Equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Ferguson Company 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.