Renaissance Technologies LLC Reduces Stake in Ferguson plc $FERG

Renaissance Technologies LLC cut its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 96.5% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 7,457 shares of the company’s stock after selling 205,843 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,739,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FERG. Raiffeisen Bank International AG boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 350,745.0% in the 4th quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 522,759 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,382,000 after purchasing an additional 522,610 shares during the last quarter. Marsico Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,017,000. Lmcg Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,806,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 89.6% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 30,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,898,000 after buying an additional 14,644 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 504.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 656,727 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,207,000 after buying an additional 548,035 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.39 per share, above the $3.23 consensus estimate, on revenue of $8.75 billion. Management cited market outperformance, strong non-residential growth and a return to residential growth despite a challenging backdrop. The company also completed five acquisitions and agreed to acquire FloWorks, expanding its distribution platform. Ferguson Reports Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations following the earnings beat and improved outlook. Wells Fargo increased its price target to $295 from $285 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Robert W. Baird raised its target to $288 from $285 and kept an “outperform” rating. These targets imply meaningful potential upside from the recent trading level. Ferguson Analysts Boost Their Forecasts Following Better-Than-Expected Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Ferguson narrowed its full-year sales guidance while remaining optimistic about business trends. It also raised its capital expenditure forecast to $375 million-$425 million, signaling continued investment but potentially limiting near-term free-cash-flow growth. Ferguson Beats Earnings Estimates and Narrows Full-Year Sales Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Ferguson priced $1.2 billion of senior unsecured notes, consisting of $700 million of 4.8% notes due 2029 and $500 million of 5.6% notes due 2036. The financing provides funds for general corporate purposes, acquisitions or refinancing, but increases debt and future interest costs at a time when investors are monitoring leverage. Ferguson Prices $1.2 Billion of Senior Unsecured Notes

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $252.52 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $234.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $240.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.78. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $207.64 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company has a market capitalization of $48.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.68%. The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.40%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group raised their target price on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays upped their price target on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $284.86.

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.