Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Bought by Fiera Capital Corp

Fiera Capital Corp lifted its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 26.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 31,727 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,672 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 4.6%

Shares of FERG stock opened at $234.62 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $207.64 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $241.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $241.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.98% and a return on equity of 38.81%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.50 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on FERG shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.77.

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.