Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio cut its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 9.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 231,660 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,012 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $40,209,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in Ferguson by 92.5% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.6%

NASDAQ FERG opened at $178.19 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $167.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $178.99.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.74 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st were given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 40.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $174.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $189.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 target price on shares of Ferguson and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.38.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.