Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Raises Holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 275,981 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,657 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned approximately 0.14% of Ferguson worth $53,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 146.1% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Ferguson Stock Up 0.3 %

FERG opened at $215.99 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $130.75 and a one year high of $224.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.98 and a beta of 1.27. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $209.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $187.10.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.82 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $6.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.00% and a return on equity of 37.99%. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.91 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. Ferguson’s 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.