Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Fox Run Management L.L.C.

Fox Run Management L.L.C. reduced its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 65.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 3,389 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,544 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $761,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position 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 valued at $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Ferguson by 22.7% in the 1st 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 acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at $257,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson during the second quarter worth $219,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $260.62 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $247.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.96 billion, a PE ratio of 26.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.18. 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 (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on FERG. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.62.

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.