Eminence Capital LP Has $151.27 Million Stock Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Eminence Capital LP trimmed its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 14.0% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 673,584 shares of the company’s stock after selling 110,031 shares during the period. Ferguson accounts for 1.8% of Eminence Capital LP’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Eminence Capital LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $151,273,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 178.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at about $43,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 21.7% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 9,900.0% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $222.07 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $43.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50-day moving average is $248.85 and its 200 day moving average is $240.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted 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 return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.Ferguson’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson (actor) confirms return window for Apple TV+ series “Silo” — entertainment press about the actress, not the company. Collider: Rebecca Ferguson on Silo
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets report Rebecca Ferguson discussing “Silo” Season 3 and Dune: Part 3 details — actor/entertainment coverage, unrelated to Ferguson plc. AOL: Silo Season 3
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson appears on late-night TV (Seth Meyers) — celebrity appearance, no corporate link. MSN: Seth Meyers & Rebecca Ferguson
• Neutral Sentiment: Celebrity coverage of Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) — various human-interest and controversy stories (public apologies, social ties, living arrangements). These are reputational/celebrity items with no corporate relevance. Yahoo: Sarah Ferguson and Epstein
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories comparing Meghan Markle to Sarah Ferguson and articles about Priscilla Presley and Sarah Ferguson — entertainment/viral coverage, not company news. MSN: Meghan Markle comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on Sarah Ferguson’s personal comments about other celebrities and alleged tensions with the royal family — tabloid/celebrity reporting, no corporate implications. MSN: Sarah Ferguson on Lisa Marie Presley
• Neutral Sentiment: Sports feature on Brighton’s Evan Ferguson (soccer) — player/club coverage, not related to Ferguson plc’s business. NYT: Evan Ferguson feature

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $268.93.

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.