Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Increases Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. lifted its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 62.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 57,633 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,186 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $12,926,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. increased its position 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 valued at $13,540,000 after acquiring an additional 24,950 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp boosted its position in Ferguson by 66.5% in the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 25,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $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 during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,964,000. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. Comgest Global Investors S.A.S. now owns 68,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,470,000 after purchasing an additional 5,109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CenterBook Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,686,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson News Roundup

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $267.00 to $278.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.00.

Ferguson Stock Performance

FERG opened at $255.08 on Friday. The firm 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. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $243.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.80. 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 (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. The firm had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

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.