Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Increases Stock Position in Ferguson plc $FERG

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 62.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 57,633 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 22,186 shares during the quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $12,926,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of FERG. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 70.6% during the third quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 60,289 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,540,000 after acquiring an additional 24,950 shares in the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 66.5% during the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 25,055 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,627,000 after purchasing an additional 10,004 shares during the last quarter. Cumberland Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,964,000. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. now owns 68,883 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,470,000 after purchasing an additional 5,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CenterBook Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,686,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $255.08 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company has a market cap of $49.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.77, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.18. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $243.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $238.80.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 35.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson plc declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.89 per share (record date Mar 6, payable Apr 30; ex-dividend Mar 6). The payout boosts shareholder income and supports the stock’s yield profile (reported yield ~1.4%).
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain a favorable view: consensus rating reported as “Moderate Buy,” which may underpin demand from income and growth-focused investors. Ferguson plc Given Consensus Recommendation of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Most headlines in the feed relate to Sarah Ferguson (ex-wife of Prince Andrew) — a cluster of celebrity/royal scandal stories and business closures tied to her name. These are unrelated to Ferguson plc’s operations and fundamentals but can create short-term name confusion in news/social feeds. Representative long-form coverage: Tainted by Scandal, the Former Prince’s Ex-wife and Daughters Keep a Low Profile
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets report dissolutions/closures of businesses linked to Sarah Ferguson; again, this concerns an individual and her private ventures, not Ferguson plc. Example: six businesses reportedly closing. Six businesses linked to former Prince Andrew’s ex-wife to close
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate local policy item mentions “Ferguson and Republicans want a sales tax exemption on diapers in Washington.” This appears to refer to a legislator or local actor, not Ferguson plc; relevance to the company’s US operations is unclear. Ferguson and Republicans want a sales tax exemption on diapers

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.