Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $267.2660.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Ferguson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Barclays lifted their price target on Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $253.84 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.21. Ferguson has a 52-week low of $155.73 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $243.69 and a 200 day moving average of $240.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Ferguson by 23.9% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,940 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the first quarter worth about $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after buying an additional 581 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter worth about $257,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings 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 worth $150,000 after buying an additional 48 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.