Rathbones Group PLC Sells 79,507 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Rathbones Group PLC lessened its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 860,920 shares of the company’s stock after selling 79,507 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $187,486,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 191,662 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,801,000 after buying an additional 7,999 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the second quarter valued at about $300,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at about $2,163,000. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 11.3% in the second quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,035 shares of the company’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of FERG stock opened at $249.91 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $252.52. The company has a market cap of $48.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $235.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.48. The business had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.21% and a net margin of 6.03%.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 26th were paid a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 26th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Vertical Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $240.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Kevin Michael Murphy sold 8,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.13, for a total value of $2,060,344.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 159,931 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,444,645.03. The trade was a 5.22% 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, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $523,940.67. This trade represents a 57.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

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.