Savant Capital LLC Decreases Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Savant Capital LLC cut its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 94.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,070 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,465 shares during the quarter. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Grove Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 154.4% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of FERG opened at $229.14 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $241.02 and a 200 day moving average of $241.37. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $207.64 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $44.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.15. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.14. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.81% and a net margin of 6.98%.The company had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.50 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.26 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on FERG shares. Oppenheimer raised their target price on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group raised their target price on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two investment 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.64.

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.