Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Trillium Asset Management LLC

Trillium Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 19.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 117,392 shares of the company’s stock after selling 29,254 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $26,647,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in Ferguson by 154.4% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Ferguson from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group raised their target price on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Ferguson from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Ferguson from $295.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.77.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $230.13 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $240.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $241.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.76, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.15. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $207.64 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.81% and a net margin of 6.98%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.50 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.40%.

Ferguson declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, May 5th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.