Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Acquires 80 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,390 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,109,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,137,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $610,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Commerce Bank raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 3.8% during the third quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 2,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $529,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 41.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 3,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FERG opened at $164.63 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $32.92 billion, a PE ratio of 19.76, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $174.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $188.06. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $152.52 and a twelve month high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.74 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.02%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on FERG shares. Zelman & Associates downgraded Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.67.

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.