Russell Investments Group Ltd. Grows Stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 25.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 123,567 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,131 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.06% of Ferguson worth $23,849,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in Ferguson by 146.1% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 320 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Raymond James downgraded shares of Ferguson from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $166.50.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of FERG opened at $211.54 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $212.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $190.35. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $137.12 and a 12-month high of $224.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.42, a P/E/G ratio of 8.77 and a beta of 1.26.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.82 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $6.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.99% and a net margin of 6.00%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.91 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.74%.

Ferguson Profile

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.