10,100 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Purchased by PDT Partners LLC

PDT Partners LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 10,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,397,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 123.4% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 143 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG stock opened at $235.84 on Thursday. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $207.64 and a one year high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $237.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $239.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Zelman & Associates upgraded Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.93.

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.