Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super acquired a new position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 159,594 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,701,000. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super owned 0.08% of Ferguson at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,146,000. Baupost Group LLC MA bought a new position in Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth approximately $196,481,000. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. now owns 54,429 shares of the company's stock worth $9,447,000 after buying an additional 7,471 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 208.8% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 2,678,880 shares of the company's stock valued at $464,973,000 after acquiring an additional 1,811,287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Giverny Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $5,851,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $193.00 price objective (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $174.00 target price for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $199.38.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Ferguson
Ferguson Stock Performance
FERG stock traded up $1.89 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $164.28. The stock had a trading volume of 1,604,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,563,506. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $183.30. The stock has a market cap of $32.85 billion, a PE ratio of 19.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $225.63.
Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.
Ferguson Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.84%.
Ferguson Company Profile
(
Free Report)
Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.
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