Equitable Trust Co. Has $2.34 Million Stock Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Equitable Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 842.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,526 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,409 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $2,343,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Ferguson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen cut Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $269.60.

Key Stories Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $285 and upgraded Ferguson to “overweight,” implying ~13% upside from current levels — a supportive analyst signal for momentum. Wells Fargo raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $2.0 billion share repurchase program (up to ~3.9% of shares outstanding), a strong capital-return move that typically supports share price and signals management confidence. Ferguson approves $2B buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped estimates: EPS $2.28 vs. consensus $2.14, revenue $7.47B (+3.6% YoY). Management highlighted non-residential strength and cash generation that funds growth and buybacks. These operational beats are a primary reason investors are bullish. Ferguson reports Q1 results
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson formed a strategic alliance with Contractor Commerce to help contractor customers modernize e?commerce and drive digital sales — incremental revenue/retention opportunity over time. Strategic alliance with Contractor Commerce
• Neutral Sentiment: Ferguson filed its Form 10?Q (Q1) and an 8?K; routine SEC filings that provide detail but don’t fundamentally change the story. Investors should read the 10?Q for any updates to guidance or one?time items. Ferguson files Form 10-Q
• Neutral Sentiment: Management/insider share vesting disclosures were filed (restricted stock units vested for directors/PDMRs) — standard reporting that can modestly increase tradable float if shares are sold. Director/PDMR shareholding notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly constructive (average rating around “Moderate Buy”), which supports medium?term investor sentiment but is not a catalyst by itself. Brokerage coverage summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Local municipal headlines (Ferguson city council rejecting a tax abatement/data?center proposal) are likely unrelated to Ferguson plc’s operations and are not expected to materially affect the stock. City council rejects tax abatement

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $252.13 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $49.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.47, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $243.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $244.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $166.04 and a 1-year high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.14. The business 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.50 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.96%.

Ferguson announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.