Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Acquires 12,424 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 115.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,148 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,424 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $5,199,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Ferguson by 230.8% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Maseco LLP bought a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 61.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 4.0%

FERG opened at $238.54 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $46.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.10, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company’s 50 day moving average is $237.17 and its 200-day moving average is $232.05. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $256.93.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. Ferguson’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.45 EPS.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $523,940.67. The trade was a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Kevin Michael Murphy sold 8,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.13, for a total value of $2,060,344.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 159,931 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,444,645.03. This represents a 5.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $252.31.

About Ferguson

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.