Vinva Investment Management Ltd Invests $642,000 in Ferguson plc $FERG

Vinva Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,943 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $642,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its stake in Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in Ferguson by 230.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Maseco LLP purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 103.6% during the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In other news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total value of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. This trade represents a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Richard Winckler sold 1,034 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.70, for a total transaction of $240,611.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $339,276.60. This trade represents a 41.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 29,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,853,349. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $251.67 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $49.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.95, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $256.93. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $240.15.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.48. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.21% and a net margin of 6.03%.The business had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. 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 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Ferguson to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.75.

Ferguson Company 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.