6,242 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Bought by Greenland Capital Management LP

Greenland Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 6,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,481,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 3,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $697,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 431 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 22,802 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,076,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of FERG opened at $242.36 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $46.88 billion, a PE ratio of 28.48, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $207.64 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $237.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $240.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. On average, analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $265.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $285.93.

About Ferguson

Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.