Bank of New York Mellon Corp Sells 1,169,171 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Bank of New York Mellon Corp cut its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,518,440 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,169,171 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 3.33% of Ferguson worth $1,463,911,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FERG. Master S Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $217,000. Markel Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 9.3% during the third quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 147,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,013,000 after purchasing an additional 12,500 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in Ferguson by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 29,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,596,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 6.7% in the third quarter. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,252 shares of the company’s stock worth $281,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LBP AM SA bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $448,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Friday, January 9th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Vertical Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price objective on the stock. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.00.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.2%

FERG stock opened at $251.54 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $256.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market cap of $49.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.41, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $237.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $234.43.

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

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

Ferguson News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Sarah Ferguson’s memoir process and use of diaries — celebrity/entertainment item with no link to Ferguson plc. Sarah Ferguson’s Diaries Could Be the ‘Backbone’ of Her Memoir — Source
• Neutral Sentiment: Article urging Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to move abroad amid family changes — entertainment/royal-family gossip, not company-related. Andrew and Sarah Ferguson urged to move abroad amid ‘seismic change’ with Beatrice and Eugenie
• Neutral Sentiment: Brief entertainment item about Jesse Tyler Ferguson sharing an anecdote — unrelated to the company. Jesse Tyler Ferguson shares Nathan Lane’s unhinged remark to his 5-year-old son
• Neutral Sentiment: Report on Rebecca Ferguson’s sci‑fi film performing well with audiences despite weak critic scores — entertainment/box office news, not corporate. Rebecca Ferguson’s Sci-Fi Thriller Is Officially a Massive Audience Hit Despite Weak Rotten Tomatoes Score
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage about Sarah Ferguson leaving Royal Lodge and personal concerns — celebrity/real estate coverage with no corporate relevance. Sarah Ferguson’s Royal Lodge Exit ‘Jarring’ for Her — Source
• Neutral Sentiment: Local reporting on officials “preparing for worst-case” ICE enforcement — refers to local governance/immigration enforcement (names include Ferguson/Brown) and not Ferguson plc. Ferguson and Brown prepare for “worst-case” ICE crackdown
• Neutral Sentiment: State official outlines effort to mitigate ICE harms — political/legal story about public policy, unrelated to Ferguson plc’s operations. Gov. Ferguson outlines effort to ‘mitigate the harms inflicted by ICE’
• Neutral Sentiment: Report of Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor and Sarah Ferguson separating after ending a domestic pact — personal/royal-family news, not business-related. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson separate again after 30-year domestic pact ends
• Neutral Sentiment: Article about Sarah Ferguson being worried about maintaining her lifestyle after vacating Royal Lodge — celebrity finance/real estate angle, not corporate. Sarah Ferguson ‘seriously worried’ about maintaining her lifestyle
• Neutral Sentiment: Exclusive on Sarah Ferguson’s new modest residence after leaving a high‑value property — tabloid real‑estate piece, no relevance to the stock. EXCLUSIVE: Inside the VERY Humble Abode Sarah Ferguson Seems ‘Doomed’ to Occupy As She and Andrew FINALLY Vacate $40Million Royal Lodge
• Neutral Sentiment: Light entertainment piece about a ‘Modern Family’ reunion including Jesse Tyler Ferguson — unrelated to Ferguson plc. ‘Modern Family’ Reunion: Julie Bowen and Jesse Tyler Ferguson Share Heartwarming Photos and a New Look

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.