Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lowered its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG – Free Report) by 33.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,236 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,122 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,454,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Ferguson in the third quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in Ferguson by 154.4% in the fourth 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. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ferguson from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. 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 research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ferguson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.58.
Ferguson Stock Performance
FERG opened at $238.08 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $46.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.15. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $238.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $240.14. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $207.64 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.96.
Ferguson (NYSE:FERG – Get Free Report) last announced its 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. The business had revenue of $7.47 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.81% and a net margin of 6.98%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.50 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Ferguson declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, May 5th that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.
Ferguson Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.40%.
Ferguson Company Profile
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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