Thematics Asset Management Sells 6,000 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Thematics Asset Management cut its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 8.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,804 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,000 shares during the period. Thematics Asset Management’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $15,452,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 9,900.0% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $268.93.

Key Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson (actor) confirms return window for Apple TV+ series “Silo” — entertainment press about the actress, not the company. Collider: Rebecca Ferguson on Silo
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets report Rebecca Ferguson discussing “Silo” Season 3 and Dune: Part 3 details — actor/entertainment coverage, unrelated to Ferguson plc. AOL: Silo Season 3
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson appears on late-night TV (Seth Meyers) — celebrity appearance, no corporate link. MSN: Seth Meyers & Rebecca Ferguson
• Neutral Sentiment: Celebrity coverage of Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) — various human-interest and controversy stories (public apologies, social ties, living arrangements). These are reputational/celebrity items with no corporate relevance. Yahoo: Sarah Ferguson and Epstein
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories comparing Meghan Markle to Sarah Ferguson and articles about Priscilla Presley and Sarah Ferguson — entertainment/viral coverage, not company news. MSN: Meghan Markle comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on Sarah Ferguson’s personal comments about other celebrities and alleged tensions with the royal family — tabloid/celebrity reporting, no corporate implications. MSN: Sarah Ferguson on Lisa Marie Presley
• Neutral Sentiment: Sports feature on Brighton’s Evan Ferguson (soccer) — player/club coverage, not related to Ferguson plc’s business. NYT: Evan Ferguson feature

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $222.07 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $248.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.38. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.52 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 35.96%.

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.