DnB Asset Management AS lowered its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 35.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 73,270 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,779 shares during the quarter. DnB Asset Management AS's holdings in Ferguson were worth $12,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Parnassus Investments LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 944.4% in the fourth quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 3,537,155 shares of the company's stock worth $613,944,000 after acquiring an additional 3,198,477 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $469,730,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 423.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,462,836 shares of the company's stock worth $290,475,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183,143 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 339.9% during the 4th quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,234,776 shares of the company's stock valued at $214,320,000 after purchasing an additional 954,092 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 7,632.6% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 677,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $117,626,000 after buying an additional 668,920 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Ferguson Stock Performance
Shares of FERG traded down $6.93 on Thursday, reaching $157.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,039,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,512,157. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $172.66 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $187.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.95, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $152.52 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91.
Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.74 earnings per share. Ferguson's revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ferguson Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.84%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
FERG has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $198.62.
Check Out Our Latest Report on FERG
Ferguson 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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