Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Acquired by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 9.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,599,911 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 227,957 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 1.30% of Ferguson worth $451,337,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 target price (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.67.

Ferguson Price Performance

NASDAQ:FERG opened at $160.37 on Tuesday. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $152.52 and a one year high of $225.63. The stock has a market cap of $32.07 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $173.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.49.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.76 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.07%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 40.84%.

Ferguson 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.