Crow s Nest Holdings LP Sells 4,150 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Crow s Nest Holdings LP trimmed its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 1.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 224,850 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,150 shares during the quarter. Ferguson makes up 10.5% of Crow s Nest Holdings LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Crow s Nest Holdings LP owned approximately 0.11% of Ferguson worth $50,497,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in FERG. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in 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. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $43,000. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 61.3% in the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.9%

FERG opened at $261.34 on Monday. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $240.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. The company has a market cap of $51.10 billion, a PE ratio of 26.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The company had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.45 earnings per share. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

Ferguson Company Profile

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.