Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt Sells 55,876 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt reduced its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 97.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,600 shares of the company's stock after selling 55,876 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt's holdings in Ferguson were worth $279,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of FERG. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 3.5% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,468,003 shares of the company's stock worth $1,668,462,000 after buying an additional 288,935 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,541,079 shares of the company's stock valued at $905,230,000 after purchasing an additional 161,662 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,197,621 shares of the company's stock worth $633,409,000 after purchasing an additional 25,677 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 6.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,371,954 shares of the company's stock worth $477,858,000 after purchasing an additional 133,769 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 423.0% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,462,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $290,475,000 after buying an additional 1,183,143 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG traded up $1.45 on Tuesday, reaching $182.38. The stock had a trading volume of 655,754 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,465,835. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $36.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.24. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $167.27 and a fifty-two week high of $225.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $182.30 and a 200-day moving average of $195.58.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Ferguson's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Ferguson from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $204.00 target price for the company. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $193.00 price target (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an "underperform" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $217.73.

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.