Vontobel Holding Ltd. Has $524.52 Million Stake in Ferguson plc $FERG

Vontobel Holding Ltd. lowered its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 7.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,335,549 shares of the company’s stock after selling 197,575 shares during the period. Ferguson accounts for 1.6% of Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $524,518,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 230.8% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth about $43,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: ABC boss defends reporting around Tingle and Sarah Ferguson’s Bondi comments — media/celebrity coverage, not related to Ferguson plc. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Soccer item about Evan Ferguson (striker) seeking a fresh start — sports news, no corporate link to FERG. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories about Sarah Ferguson considering moving to a granny flat after eviction — celebrity/royal-family coverage, not company-related. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage on Sarah Ferguson potentially moving with daughters — entertainment press, unrelated to Ferguson plc. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Tony Ferguson (MMA) reveals a severe injury during a UFC losing streak — athlete health story, not corporate. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local government piece: “Ferguson proposes borrowing $3 billion for highway maintenance, ferries” — likely a municipal or local-official story, not the UK/US distributor Ferguson plc; monitor only if later tied to company contracts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Celebrity tabloid about Sarah Ferguson considering monetizing royal stories — entertainment/author income story, not corporate. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Tony Ferguson wins a Misfits boxing title in Dubai — sports/entertainment result, no FERG relevance. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Gasperini’s comment about Evan Ferguson aimed at Brighton/Man United — soccer transfer/strategy talk, not related to the company. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Various tabloid stories linking ex-prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, plus other royal-press pieces — celebrity press, no corporate impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple sports lifestyle and fantasy-football items referencing Jake Ferguson and Haley Cavinder — athlete coverage, not relevant to the company. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Repeated MMA reporting on Tony Ferguson’s injury and its career impact — athlete-focused reporting, no link to Ferguson plc. Article Title

Ferguson Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $227.18 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $241.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $230.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.68. The company has a market capitalization of $44.42 billion, a PE ratio of 22.95, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $256.93.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 36.42%. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.45 EPS.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FERG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $288.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Ferguson from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.47.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total value of $710,910.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. The trade was a 57.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Allison Stirrup sold 969 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.23, for a total value of $226,968.87. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 5,058 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,184,735.34. This represents a 16.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson 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.