Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Purchases 7,198 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich raised its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 13.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 59,222 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,198 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $10,375,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $168.15 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.62 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business’s 50-day moving average is $177.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $191.95. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $163.01 and a 1 year high of $225.63.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 39.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Barclays dropped their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $217.73.

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.