7,744 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Bought by AIA Group Ltd

AIA Group Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 7,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,739,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 178.3% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 55.8% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.1%

FERG stock opened at $217.83 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $248.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.34 billion, a PE ratio of 22.00, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $271.64.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $268.93.

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.