Ferguson plc $FERG Stock Position Raised by Aberdeen Group plc

Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 208,439 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,832 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.11% of Ferguson worth $46,405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% during the first 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 purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in Ferguson by 22.7% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at $257,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Ferguson by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $235.42 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $244.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $240.14. 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 company has a market cap of $45.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.21.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on FERG. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.93.

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.