Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Purchased by Envestnet Asset Management Inc.

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 4.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 818,147 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,672 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $183,739,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 581 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth about $257,000. Finally, OLD National Bancorp IN acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $249,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Vertical Research started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $254.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $262.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.79 billion, a PE ratio of 25.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $239.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.98.

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

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a $0.89 dividend. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 35.96%.

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights that Ferguson has been outperforming some industrial-products peers this year, supporting the view that the business is competitively resilient in its sector. Is Ferguson plc (FERG) Outperforming Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Many media stories this week refer to other people and places named “Ferguson” (e.g., Sarah Ferguson / royal‑family coverage, city of Ferguson crime trends, and sports highlights). These are name‑confusion headlines and are unlikely to affect Ferguson plc’s fundamentals or operations. Representative examples: Ferguson facing downward trend in crime: Mayor and Key revelations about Sarah Ferguson in Epstein files
• Negative Sentiment: An online “critical review” piece names Ferguson alongside other small industrials in a comparative critique; such negative commentary can pressure sentiment and retail flows even if not tied to company fundamentals. ZJK Industrial (NASDAQ:ZJK) and Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Critical Review

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.