American Century Companies Inc. Sells 26,740 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

American Century Companies Inc. trimmed its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 10.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 227,184 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,740 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned about 0.12% of Ferguson worth $51,009,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Ferguson by 81.4% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 303 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised 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 buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Ferguson plc to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), noting improving earnings prospects; this upgrade can attract buyers and short-term inflows. All You Need to Know About Ferguson plc (FERG) Rating Upgrade to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Numerous media items mention people named “Ferguson” (e.g., Sarah Ferguson / celebrity coverage, sports items) that are unrelated to Ferguson plc’s business and should be treated as noise for FERG investors — these are not company developments and are unlikely to affect fundamentals. Royal Fallout: Sarah Ferguson Scrutinized After Prince Andrew’s Arrest
• Neutral Sentiment: A BusinessWire filing referenced “Ferguson Enterprises Inc.” director shareholding — this pertains to a U.S. company (Ferguson Enterprises) and not Ferguson plc (FERG) listed on the NYSE; investors in FERG should not conflate the two. Ferguson Enterprises Inc. (“Company”): Director/PDMR Shareholding
• Negative Sentiment: Company fundamentals remain a near-term headwind: Ferguson reported 1.99 EPS for the most recent quarter (miss vs. consensus ~2.24), with only 3.6% revenue growth year-over-year — that earnings miss and modest top-line growth are the primary drivers of selling pressure. (Company quarter reported Feb. 24.)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on FERG shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped 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. Barclays lifted their target price on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.62.

Ferguson Stock Down 2.9%

FERG stock opened at $239.86 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $248.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $240.57. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.65 billion, a PE ratio of 24.23, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.17. 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 (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

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.