Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Acquired by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,197,621 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 25,677 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 1.59% of Ferguson worth $633,409,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter worth about $32,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Ferguson from $245.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Oppenheimer started coverage on Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $234.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group raised their target price on Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $231.00.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of FERG stock traded down $2.88 during trading on Friday, reaching $187.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,359,785 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,311,732. The company has a market capitalization of $37.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.21. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $183.63 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $203.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.32.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.85% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company's revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.77 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.59 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.77%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Ferguson's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.94%.

Insider Transactions at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, CAO Richard Winckler sold 1,325 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.75, for a total value of $267,318.75. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $201,750. This trade represents a 56.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total value of $224,963.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,882 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $378,696.04. This represents a 37.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Ferguson Company 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.