14,026 Shares in Ferguson plc $FERG Bought by Hengehold Capital Management LLC

Hengehold Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 14,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,123,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Durable Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $244,561,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings in Ferguson by 588.1% in the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,087,523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,236,000 after acquiring an additional 929,475 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Ferguson by 22.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,734,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $838,786,000 after acquiring an additional 682,666 shares during the last quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Ferguson by 114.7% during the 3rd quarter. 59 North Capital Management LP now owns 1,255,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $281,879,000 after acquiring an additional 670,473 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 502.8% during the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 765,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $171,967,000 after acquiring an additional 638,692 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.93.

Ferguson Trading Up 4.4%

NYSE FERG opened at $233.39 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $245.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.97. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company has a market capitalization of $45.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.52 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

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.