UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Has $487.80 Million Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 0.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,055,351 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 16,866 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $487,796,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,789,368,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in Ferguson by 150.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,366,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,085,256,000 after acquiring an additional 5,631,554 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth approximately $498,005,000. Durable Capital Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $244,561,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 929,475 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $228.52 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $236.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.47. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $207.64 and a 1 year high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.83%.

Ferguson announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 3.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Ferguson from $281.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.93.

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.