Choreo LLC Acquires 3,069 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Choreo LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 101.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,099 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,069 shares during the quarter. Choreo LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,376,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $223,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $886,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 21.7% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Ferguson from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Ferguson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $267.27.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $256.83 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $49.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.94, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.21. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $158.68 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $243.79 and its 200 day moving average is $241.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.52 EPS.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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