Clearbridge Investments LLC trimmed its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 188,997 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,318 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned about 0.09% of Ferguson worth $32,804,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lifted its stake in Ferguson by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 6,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,109,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,137,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company's stock valued at $610,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Ferguson by 41.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 3,001 shares of the company's stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Ferguson Price Performance
Ferguson stock traded down $6.39 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $158.42. The stock had a trading volume of 2,915,636 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,521,536. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. 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 plc has a 1-year low of $152.52 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The stock's fifty day moving average is $172.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $186.90.
Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.74 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ferguson Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson's payout ratio is currently 40.84%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $198.62.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Ferguson
About Ferguson
(
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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