SG Americas Securities LLC Acquires 113,715 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 1,518.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 121,204 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 113,715 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $27,220,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% in 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 boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 51.5% during the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 230.8% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 61.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on FERG. Wall Street Zen upgraded Ferguson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 28th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $252.06.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $222.32 on Thursday. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $256.93. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $237.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market cap of $43.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.18.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The company had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.45 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.89 dividend. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Insider Activity

In other Ferguson news, SVP Jake Schlicher sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.52, for a total value of $700,560.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,720,741.52. This trade represents a 20.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of Ferguson 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $523,940.67. This trade represents a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ferguson News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly fundamentals beat consensus and showed revenue growth and strong ROE, supporting the company’s mid-cycle earnings resilience and helping justify current valuation despite recent share weakness.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary piece reviews investor/short-seller sentiment toward Ferguson (Ferguson Enterprises / market views). This kind of analysis can influence near-term trading flows but does not change Ferguson plc’s reported results. What Does the Market Think About Ferguson Enterprises Inc?
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/state government story mentioning “Gov. Ferguson” (ferry plan) is unrelated to Ferguson plc’s business and should not affect the stock’s fundamentals. Gov. Ferguson’s ferry plan tested by three broken boats
• Neutral Sentiment: Several entertainment/celebrity articles reference Sarah Ferguson (royal family coverage) — not related to the company’s operations or outlook. Sarah Ferguson was ‘lonely, deeply unhappy’ in Andrew marriage Sarah Ferguson sets sights on new chapter amid Royal Lodge eviction Sarah Ferguson’s nickname for the late queen revealed
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple sports stories concern people named Ferguson (Evan Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson comparisons, player paternity leave) and do not pertain to Ferguson plc’s business. These are unlikely to move the stock. Ferguson and Dovbyk fire Roma to win at Lecce Evan Ferguson scores as Roma move up to fourth Ferguson, Henry may take paternity leave during T20 World Cup

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.