Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Purchased by Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 25.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,991,445 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,231,120 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd. owned approximately 3.00% of Ferguson worth $1,039,935,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 41.1% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $155.22 on Monday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $31.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $171.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $186.33. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $144.82 and a 12-month high of $225.63.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 target price (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Zelman & Associates lowered Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.62.

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.