Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Buys 3,137 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 50.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 9,358 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,137 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $2,083,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 154.4% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE FERG opened at $223.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.23. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $176.26 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $240.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $242.95.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.92% and a net margin of 6.98%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.50 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 41.40%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Ferguson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group upped their target price on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ferguson from $260.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Ferguson from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $269.73.

Ferguson Company Profile

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.