Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) Sees Large Volume Increase

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 2,927,230 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 157% from the previous session’s volume of 1,137,913 shares.The stock last traded at $188.32 and had previously closed at $185.87.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on FERG shares. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $232.00 to $229.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Ferguson from $238.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Ferguson from $217.00 to $211.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $230.00.

Ferguson Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $38.30 billion, a PE ratio of 20.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $203.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $207.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 80.1% in the 1st quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 32,811 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,166,000 after buying an additional 14,590 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 14.5% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 75,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,493,000 after purchasing an additional 9,562 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,834,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 20.8% during the 4th quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 60,406 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,663,000 after purchasing an additional 10,406 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $732,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.