Ferguson plc $FERG Stake Boosted by Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co

Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 34.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,772 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 7,572 shares during the quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $6,686,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 30.8% during the third quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 1,465,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,902,000 after acquiring an additional 345,165 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $764,000. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Ferguson by 68.2% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $198,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Egerton Capital UK LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 16.4% in the third quarter. Egerton Capital UK LLP now owns 2,600,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $583,958,000 after purchasing an additional 366,898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 58.8% in the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 22,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,046,000 after purchasing an additional 8,323 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $257.03 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $50.26 billion, a PE ratio of 25.96, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $247.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $240.41. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.52 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Barclays upped their price target on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.62.

Ferguson 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.