Ferguson plc $FERG Holdings Boosted by Qsemble Capital Management LP

Qsemble Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 12.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,948 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,073 shares during the period. Qsemble Capital Management LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $5,999,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $886,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 3,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $697,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Ferguson by 7.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock worth $150,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the company’s stock worth $301,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Triad Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,219 shares of the company’s stock worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $223.63 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $43.37 billion, a PE ratio of 26.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.23. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $176.26 and a 12 month 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 company’s 50-day moving average price is $241.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $243.71.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 38.92%. The firm had revenue of $7.47 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $269.73.

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.