Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Sells 13,118 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. decreased its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 27.0% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 35,447 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,118 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,733,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 103.6% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 230.8% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP acquired a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at about $40,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Ian T. Graham sold 606 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.33, for a total transaction of $145,033.98. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,714 shares in the company, valued at $1,846,191.62. The trade was a 7.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total transaction of $699,960.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,279,864.92. This trade represents a 5.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on FERG. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. Vertical Research started coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target for the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.75.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG stock opened at $242.87 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $236.73. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $256.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market cap of $47.60 billion, a PE ratio of 26.00, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $8.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.21% and a net margin of 6.03%.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 26th were given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 26th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.55%.

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers.