Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $288.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.71.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $245.66 on Friday. Ferguson has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $256.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.14 billion, a PE ratio of 26.30, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $242.79.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $523,940.67. This represents a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 sale, the insider owned 7,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,846,191.62. The trade was a 7.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,853,349. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd 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 last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 178.3% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management boosted 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Company 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.