ING Groep NV raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 15.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 267,149 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 36,249 shares during the period. ING Groep NV owned about 0.13% of Ferguson worth $46,369,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at about $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Ferguson Stock Down 2.0 %
Shares of NASDAQ FERG traded down $3.60 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $175.90. 1,573,431 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,416,733. The company has a market cap of $35.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $178.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $194.10. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $167.27 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68.
Ferguson Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Ferguson's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson's payout ratio is 39.86%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $193.00 target price (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Zelman & Associates cut shares of Ferguson from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $217.73.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on FERG
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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