PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators Invests $6.58 Million in Ferguson plc $FERG

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators purchased a new position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERGFree Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 29,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,576,000.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.6%

FERG stock opened at $229.14 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $207.64 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $241.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.15.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERGGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 38.81%. The business had revenue of $7.47 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.26 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.64.

View Our Latest Analysis on FERG

About Ferguson

(Free Report)

Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Ferguson (NYSE:FERG)

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