Brokerages Set Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Price Target at $200.67

Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $198.62.

FERG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Zelman & Associates downgraded Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Berenberg Bank increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 target price on shares of Ferguson and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG stock opened at $155.22 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $171.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $186.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. 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 one year low of $145.10 and a one year high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Ferguson will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 40.84%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 15.4% in the first quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 2,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $364,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Norman Fields Gottscho Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 1st quarter worth $2,375,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in Ferguson by 259.3% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 291 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. 111 Capital bought a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at about $492,000. Finally, Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at about $372,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.