Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Purchased by Allianz Asset Management GmbH

Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 21.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 322,924 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 55,981 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned approximately 0.16% of Ferguson worth $72,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Ferguson by 23.9% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,940 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Ferguson by 22.7% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after buying an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the second quarter worth approximately $257,000. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter worth $228,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Vertical Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target for the company. UBS Group lowered their target price on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $267.00 to $278.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.00.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE:FERG opened at $257.87 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $50.43 billion, a PE ratio of 26.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50 day moving average is $239.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $235.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $262.88.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.The firm had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.45 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

Key Stories Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Major tabloid and news outlets are publishing newly released emails and coverage about Sarah, Duchess of York, including reports that her charity will pause/close following Epstein‑related revelations. This coverage is about a private individual and her charity, not Ferguson plc; expect name‑confusion headlines but no direct corporate impact. Sarah Ferguson’s Charity to Close After Epstein Email Revelations
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets (People, MSN, Yahoo, Hello) are running explainers and deep dives on the same Sarah Ferguson/Jeffrey Epstein email disclosures and reporting on alleged personal debt. These are background/tabloid stories — monitor for headline noise but don’t conflate with the plumbing/industrial distributor Ferguson plc. Who Is Ex-Prince Andrew’s Ex-Wife?
• Neutral Sentiment: Several entertainment and sports items reference other people named Ferguson (actor Rebecca Ferguson streaming success; NFL clips about players). These are unrelated to Ferguson plc’s business and unlikely to move the stock. Hurts heaves second TD toss to Ferguson
• Negative Sentiment: An investment site published a “critical review” of Ferguson (ticker included alongside other names), highlighting concerns that could weigh on sentiment — likely discussing valuation, growth assumptions or competitive/macro risks. This is the only item in the batch directly relevant to FERG and is the most likely driver of any share‑price weakness today. Investors should read the note and check whether analysts revise estimates. ZJK Industrial (NASDAQ:ZJK) and Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Critical Review

About Ferguson

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.