Dana Investment Advisors Inc. Purchases 26,936 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Dana Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 401.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,641 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 26,936 shares during the quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,555,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at about $43,000. AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter valued at about $58,000. Finally, 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 worth $66,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE:FERG opened at $251.31 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $244.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $239.18. The stock has a market cap of $49.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.17. 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 plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.45 EPS. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. UBS Group reduced their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Friday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Ferguson 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.