Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Acquired by Jain Global LLC

Jain Global LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 59.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,531 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,770 shares during the period. Jain Global LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $8,878,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Atria Investments Inc lifted its stake in Ferguson by 38.2% during the third quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 15,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,459,000 after buying an additional 4,259 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $1,002,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 11.7% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 20,523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,609,000 after acquiring an additional 2,145 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,252,000. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 21.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 322,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,522,000 after acquiring an additional 55,981 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Definitive proxy and transition filings — The company filed a Definitive Proxy Statement, additional proxy soliciting material and a Transition Report with the SEC; investors often view this as a catalyst because it increases clarity around board/management changes and can lead to actions that unlock value (or a negotiated settlement). Ferguson Files Definitive Proxy Materials and Transition Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Entertainment headlines using the “Ferguson” name (Rebecca Ferguson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sarah Ferguson, Tony Ferguson) are unrelated to Ferguson plc’s business and are not material to FERG’s fundamentals or near‑term stock moves. Example: Rebecca Ferguson streaming success on Apple TV. Rebecca Ferguson’s 2-Part Sci-Fi Masterpiece Surges on Apple TV’s Streaming Charts
• Neutral Sentiment: Other celebrity press (multiple items about actors and public figures named Ferguson) is noise for investors in Ferguson plc and unlikely to move the stock. (See the list of entertainment links provided with the raw feed.)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent operating/earnings backdrop — Ferguson missed consensus EPS in its Feb. 24 quarter (reported $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected) and revenue growth was modest; the stock is trading below both its 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages, a technical headwind that could limit upside absent clear governance/strategic outcomes.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on FERG shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $268.93.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE FERG opened at $223.65 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $248.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $240.40. The company has a market capitalization of $43.50 billion, a PE ratio of 22.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.52 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

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.