17,491 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Purchased by CWA Asset Management Group LLC

CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 17,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,894,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 992 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 4.5% in the third quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 1,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its position in Ferguson by 20.4% during the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $217.83 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $248.10 and a 200 day moving average of $240.05. 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 capitalization of $42.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.00, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results 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 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 35.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on FERG. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.93.

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.