Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Has $31.18 Million Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super lowered its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 10.3% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 143,188 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,406 shares during the period. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $31,179,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% during the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 230.8% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 247.4% during the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 56.5% during the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $237.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP William T. Thees, Jr. sold 2,308 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.55, for a total value of $541,341.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 29,694 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,964,727.70. The trade was a 7.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total transaction of $699,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,279,864.92. The trade was a 5.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 28,575 shares of company stock valued at $6,688,246 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $240.73 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $229.93. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $146.00 and a one year high of $243.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market cap of $47.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.77, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.48. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.03% and a return on equity of 35.21%. The company had revenue of $8.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 26th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 35.55%.

About Ferguson

Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers.