Dudley & Shanley Inc. Boosts Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Dudley & Shanley Inc. increased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 38.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 104,175 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,675 shares during the period. Ferguson makes up approximately 3.7% of Dudley & Shanley Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Dudley & Shanley Inc. owned 0.05% of Ferguson worth $23,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% during the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $268.93.

Ferguson Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $223.06 on Tuesday. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64. 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $247.73 and its 200 day moving average is $240.02. The company has a market cap of $43.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its 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%.The business’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Key Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Sarah Ferguson denies reports she planned to clone Queen Elizabeth’s corgis for a reality TV project — multiple outlets report statements from her reps pushing back on the rumors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage repeating Ferguson’s denial and reps’ clarifications about cloning claims. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Further media pieces investigating the cloning rumor and reporting reps’ pushback. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage focusing on Ferguson’s rep clarifying that reports about cloned royal dogs are inaccurate. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Fox News and other outlets run similar items quoting Ferguson’s team denying involvement in a cloning reality show. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-form recap articles reporting the official statement that the cloning-for-TV rumor is false. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Other unrelated items: an interview mention of Rebecca Ferguson’s potential Peaky Blinders return. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local political coverage about Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signing bills and meeting the NBA commissioner (state politics, unrelated to the company). Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: BBC coverage noting Sarah Ferguson keeping a low profile amid calls for testimony in an unrelated high-profile investigation. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Human-interest piece about Sarah Ferguson recalling advice from Queen Elizabeth. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investor-relevant note: Ferguson plc reported an EPS miss on Feb 24 (EPS $1.99 vs. $2.24 expected) even as revenue rose ~3.6% YoY — this fundamental miss could weigh on sentiment despite today’s uptick in the share price.

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.