Barclays PLC Has $508.14 Million Stock Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Barclays PLC raised its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 14.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,262,619 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 292,723 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 1.15% of Ferguson worth $508,139,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Ferguson by 81.4% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 303 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in Ferguson by 21.7% in the third 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 institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on FERG. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays raised their price objective on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group increased their price target on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.62.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $239.86 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $248.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.57. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.52 earnings per share. Ferguson’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.96%.

Key Stories Impacting Ferguson

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.)

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.