Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday. The firm set a “hold” rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s price target suggests a potential upside of 8.61% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on FERG. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $189.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price objective (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.62.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $160.21. 76,853 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,501,159. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson has a 1 year low of $152.52 and a 1 year high of $225.63. The company has a market cap of $32.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $173.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.49.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. Ferguson’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.74 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ferguson will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the company’s stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 6,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,109,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,137,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $610,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 41.1% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.