Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $267.2660.

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $257.33 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.21. Ferguson has a 52 week low of $158.68 and a 52 week high of $271.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $243.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $241.53.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.96%.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 992 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Ferguson by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $886,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 3,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $697,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Ferguson by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock worth $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.