Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Stock Holdings Lifted by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) by 80.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,811 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,590 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,166,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Richardson Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 60.0% in the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 136 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in Ferguson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $236.00 to $232.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Ferguson from $217.00 to $211.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $221.50.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG traded down $2.65 on Tuesday, reaching $188.01. 991,235 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,135,098. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $147.62 and a 1-year high of $224.86. The company has a 50-day moving average of $204.30 and a 200-day moving average of $203.31. The firm has a market cap of $37.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.97 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 4th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $7.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.32 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.89% and a net margin of 6.33%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.20 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be issued a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 14th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.54%.

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.