Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Anchor Capital Advisors LLC

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 13.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 310,630 shares of the company’s stock after selling 47,311 shares during the period. Ferguson makes up about 2.0% of Anchor Capital Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned 0.16% of Ferguson worth $69,761,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,940 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 1st quarter valued at $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in Ferguson by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at about $257,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 151.2% during the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 706 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $242.81 on Wednesday. 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 plc has a fifty-two week low of $146.00 and a fifty-two week high of $256.93. The stock has a market cap of $47.48 billion, a PE ratio of 24.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $236.71 and a 200-day moving average of $233.39.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.The business had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.45 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 35.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $267.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.00.

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.