Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $268.9327.

FERG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 8th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $217.83 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $248.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $240.13. Ferguson has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.52 earnings per share.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.96%.

About Ferguson

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.