State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Grows Stock Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 3.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 68,630 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,111 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $15,413,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,940 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $257,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 61.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Vertical Research began 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. UBS Group dropped their price objective 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, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.00.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $261.34 on Tuesday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $271.64. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $241.29 and its 200 day moving average is $238.04. The company has a market cap of $51.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted 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 firm had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.45 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.96%.

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.