Strs Ohio Makes New $1.01 Million Investment in Ferguson plc $FERG

Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 4,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,008,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 56.5% during the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the second 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. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 103.6% in the first quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 230.8% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Ferguson news, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total value of $699,960.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,279,864.92. This trade represents a 5.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Allison Stirrup sold 969 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.23, for a total transaction of $226,968.87. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,058 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,184,735.34. This represents a 16.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,853,349. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on FERG. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $240.80.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.0%

FERG opened at $246.58 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $234.88. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $252.52. The company has a market capitalization of $48.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 26th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 26th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.55%.

Ferguson Company Profile

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.