Machina Capital S.A.S. Sells 4,544 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Machina Capital S.A.S. trimmed its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,202 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,544 shares during the quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $944,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 145.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% during the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 61.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $260.97 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. The company has a 50-day moving average of $239.47 and a 200-day moving average of $235.85. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $262.88. The company has a market capitalization of $51.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.36, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.18.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $8.17 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.45 EPS.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be paid a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. UBS Group dropped their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Vertical Research assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $291.99 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.00.

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights that Ferguson plc (FERG) has outpaced some industrial-products peers so far this year, reinforcing momentum from the company’s recent quarterly beat and revenue growth — a likely contributor to buying interest. Is Ferguson plc (FERG) Outperforming Other Industrial Products Stocks This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Local news: the city of Ferguson (Missouri) reports a downward crime trend — unrelated to Ferguson plc’s plumbing & HVAC distribution business and unlikely to affect the stock. Ferguson facing downward trend in crime: Mayor
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media reports cover revelations about Sarah Ferguson and related charity/epstein coverage; these are reputational/celebrity stories and do not pertain to Ferguson plc’s operations. Representative coverage: Key revelations about Sarah Ferguson in Epstein files, including suggesting a woman for him to marry
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional celebrity/royal and lifestyle pieces (mental-health, family reaction, email excerpts) concerning Sarah Ferguson appear widely; they are unrelated to the company’s fundamentals. Example: Princess Eugenie feels ‘very frustrated’ by parents Sarah Ferguson and ex-Prince Andrew’s antics
• Neutral Sentiment: Sports mentions of athletes named Ferguson (e.g., Terrance Ferguson) are unrelated to the company and should not affect FERG’s stock. Hurts heaves second TD toss to Ferguson
• Negative Sentiment: An AmericanBankingNews item presents a critical review of Ferguson (FERG) alongside other names, highlighting risks investors should consider (valuation, cyclical exposure and/or operational headwinds cited). This piece may introduce caution among some investors. ZJK Industrial (NASDAQ:ZJK) and Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Critical Review

Ferguson 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.