Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $268.9327.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on FERG shares. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th.

Key Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson (actor) confirms return window for Apple TV+ series “Silo” — entertainment press about the actress, not the company. Collider: Rebecca Ferguson on Silo
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets report Rebecca Ferguson discussing “Silo” Season 3 and Dune: Part 3 details — actor/entertainment coverage, unrelated to Ferguson plc. AOL: Silo Season 3
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson appears on late-night TV (Seth Meyers) — celebrity appearance, no corporate link. MSN: Seth Meyers & Rebecca Ferguson
• Neutral Sentiment: Celebrity coverage of Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) — various human-interest and controversy stories (public apologies, social ties, living arrangements). These are reputational/celebrity items with no corporate relevance. Yahoo: Sarah Ferguson and Epstein
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories comparing Meghan Markle to Sarah Ferguson and articles about Priscilla Presley and Sarah Ferguson — entertainment/viral coverage, not company news. MSN: Meghan Markle comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on Sarah Ferguson’s personal comments about other celebrities and alleged tensions with the royal family — tabloid/celebrity reporting, no corporate implications. MSN: Sarah Ferguson on Lisa Marie Presley
• Neutral Sentiment: Sports feature on Brighton’s Evan Ferguson (soccer) — player/club coverage, not related to Ferguson plc’s business. NYT: Evan Ferguson feature

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $222.07 on Monday. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $248.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $240.47. Ferguson has a one year low of $146.00 and a one year high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $43.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.