Ferguson plc $FERG Holdings Reduced by UBS Group AG

UBS Group AG decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 28.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 329,272 shares of the company’s stock after selling 129,112 shares during the period. UBS Group AG’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $73,306,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 178.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in Ferguson by 154.4% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $267.27.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst outlook: Street forecasts still show robust full‑year EPS expectations (consensus ~11.2), and the company retains a strong return on equity, suggesting underlying profitability that could support the stock if execution improves.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple mainstream outlets reported that Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital before the Manchester United vs. Liverpool match. This is a high-profile sports/celebrity story but is unrelated to Ferguson plc’s plumbing/industrial distribution business and should not affect fundamentals. Sir Alex Ferguson taken to hospital before Manchester United vs Liverpool
• Neutral Sentiment: Another consumer/celebrity piece urged Sarah Ferguson to reject multi‑figure tell‑all offers. This item is unrelated to Ferguson plc’s operations and is unlikely to move the stock. Sarah Ferguson urged to reject six-figure tell-all offers
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed estimates: FERG reported $1.99 EPS vs. $2.24 expected and only modest revenue growth (≈+3.6% Y/Y). The EPS miss and any signaling in the report/remarks likely drove near‑term selling pressure. Ferguson Trading and Earnings Detail

Ferguson Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $264.13 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $243.92 and a 200-day moving average of $243.82. The firm has a market cap of $51.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.23. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $166.04 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.96%.

About Ferguson

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.