Ferguson plc $FERG Stake Cut by Robeco Schweiz AG

Robeco Schweiz AG lessened its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 18.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 463,674 shares of the company’s stock after selling 102,776 shares during the period. Ferguson makes up about 2.3% of Robeco Schweiz AG’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Robeco Schweiz AG’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $100,965,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 132.1% in the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 318 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 68.3% during the 1st quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 15,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,511,000 after purchasing an additional 6,361 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 1.7% in the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 21,875 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,505,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 2.6% during the first quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 147,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,707,000 after buying an additional 3,800 shares during the period. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 45.2% during the first quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 1,692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $271,000 after buying an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In related news, SVP Jake Schlicher sold 3,000 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.52, for a total value of $700,560.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,720,741.52. This trade represents a 20.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. The trade was a 57.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 29,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,853,349 in the last ninety days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on FERG shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $291.99 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Ferguson to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $240.80.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $251.81 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.68. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $235.67. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $253.59. The stock has a market cap of $49.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.44 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.03% and a return on equity of 35.21%.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 26th were given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 26th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.55%.

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers.