Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERGGet Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $250.47.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $243.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Vertical Research started coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th.

View Our Latest Analysis on Ferguson

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $225.41 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $256.93. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $240.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $231.49. The firm has a market cap of $44.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERGGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.The company had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 33.54%.

Insider Transactions at Ferguson

In other news, insider Ian T. Graham sold 4,864 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.22, for a total value of $1,134,382.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,811,886.18. This trade represents a 38.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total value of $699,960.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,279,864.92. This represents a 5.39% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 4.6% in the third quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 992 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,342 shares of the company’s stock worth $291,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 51.5% during the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Ferguson by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

About Ferguson

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Analyst Recommendations for Ferguson (NYSE:FERG)

Receive News & Ratings for Ferguson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ferguson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.