Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Position Trimmed by Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC

Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 8.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,952 shares of the company’s stock after selling 263 shares during the period. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $512,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 106.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on FERG shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.38.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NASDAQ FERG opened at $181.89 on Friday. 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 cap of $36.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.84, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $179.69. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.74 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st were given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

About Ferguson

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.