Swiss National Bank Sells 32,200 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Swiss National Bank lessened its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 567,147 shares of the company’s stock after selling 32,200 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.28% of Ferguson worth $98,440,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $201.64.

Ferguson Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $159.82 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $152.52 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $175.89 and a 200 day moving average of $190.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.95 billion, a PE ratio of 19.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.08%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.86%.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.