Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on FERG. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $243.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. UBS Group cut their target price on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Vertical Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.47.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.7%

FERG opened at $227.00 on Friday. Ferguson has a one year low of $146.00 and a one year high of $256.93. The company has a market cap of $44.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.93, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $240.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $231.40.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.Ferguson’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.45 EPS.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, CFO William Brundage sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.32, for a total transaction of $699,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,279,864.92. This represents a 5.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Ian T. Graham sold 606 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.33, for a total value of $145,033.98. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,846,191.62. The trade was a 7.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock valued at $6,853,349. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its position in Ferguson by 51.5% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen raised its rating on Ferguson to Buy — a direct analyst upgrade that could support the stock over time by attracting buyers. Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen
• Neutral Sentiment: Local news: “Ferguson, GOP submit supplemental budgets” — coverage of a political/budget dispute (unrelated to Ferguson plc’s business) and unlikely to affect the stock. Ferguson, GOP submit supplemental budgets
• Neutral Sentiment: “Ferguson budget plan a patchwork” — local political reporting; not company-specific and unlikely to move FERG. Ferguson budget plan a patchwork
• Neutral Sentiment: Entertainment piece on actress Rebecca Ferguson and streaming interest — unrelated to Ferguson plc. Rebecca Ferguson’s 90% Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is in Danger of Being Forgotten Ahead of Season 3
• Neutral Sentiment: WA health care groups raise alarm over a Governor Ferguson budget — political/healthcare policy story focused on state budget, not the company. WA health care groups raise alarm over Ferguson budget
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple celebrity/Sarah Ferguson (royal) stories about a tell-all book — entertainment/celebrity news with no bearing on Ferguson plc. Sarah Ferguson’s Tell-All Could Jeopardize ‘Family Ties’ — Source
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage of the same Sarah Ferguson controversy (potential consequences) — also unrelated to the company. Sarah Ferguson’s Tell-All Could Have ‘Devastating Consequences’ — Source
• Neutral Sentiment: Gov. Ferguson requests $11M for design of new Spokane veterans home — state infrastructure request, not related to Ferguson plc’s operations. Gov. Ferguson requests $11 million for design of new Spokane Veterans home
• Neutral Sentiment: International tabloids/coverage about Sarah Ferguson’s personal life and finances — entertainment press, unrelated to corporate fundamentals. Sarah Ferguson Allegedly Warned Tell-All Book Would ‘Wreck What Is Left of Her Life’
• Neutral Sentiment: More tabloid pieces on Sarah Ferguson and speculation about finances — not relevant to FERG. ‘Disgraced’ Sarah Ferguson Allegedly ‘Needs Rich New Man’ to Fund Plastic Surgery Dreams This New Year

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.