ExodusPoint Capital Management LP Sells 26,542 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

ExodusPoint Capital Management LP trimmed its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 49.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,553 shares of the company's stock after selling 26,542 shares during the quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP's holdings in Ferguson were worth $4,782,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cinctive Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $386,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Ferguson by 1,137.6% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 89,826 shares of the company's stock worth $15,591,000 after acquiring an additional 82,568 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,215,657 shares of the company's stock valued at $557,082,000 after purchasing an additional 18,036 shares in the last quarter. GFI Investment Counsel Ltd. increased its position in Ferguson by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. GFI Investment Counsel Ltd. now owns 282,388 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,014,000 after buying an additional 11,213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 135.5% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 24,962 shares of the company's stock worth $4,335,000 after purchasing an additional 14,361 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock traded up $2.86 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $164.61. 2,156,460 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,557,492. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $225.63. The stock's fifty day moving average is $168.30 and its 200-day moving average is $184.42. The stock has a market cap of $32.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.76, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.74 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Zelman & Associates cut shares of Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $174.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price objective on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $198.62.

Ferguson Profile

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.