Cinctive Capital Management LP Boosts Stake in Ferguson plc $FERG

Cinctive Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 595.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,386 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,886 shares during the quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $3,905,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in Ferguson by 21.7% in the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional raised its stake in Ferguson by 9,900.0% in the third quarter. CX Institutional now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $222.07 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $248.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $240.47. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.93% and a return on equity of 40.37%. The business’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.52 earnings per share.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 35.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on FERG. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $268.93.

More Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson (actor) confirms return window for Apple TV+ series “Silo” — entertainment press about the actress, not the company. Collider: Rebecca Ferguson on Silo
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets report Rebecca Ferguson discussing “Silo” Season 3 and Dune: Part 3 details — actor/entertainment coverage, unrelated to Ferguson plc. AOL: Silo Season 3
• Neutral Sentiment: Rebecca Ferguson appears on late-night TV (Seth Meyers) — celebrity appearance, no corporate link. MSN: Seth Meyers & Rebecca Ferguson
• Neutral Sentiment: Celebrity coverage of Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) — various human-interest and controversy stories (public apologies, social ties, living arrangements). These are reputational/celebrity items with no corporate relevance. Yahoo: Sarah Ferguson and Epstein
• Neutral Sentiment: Stories comparing Meghan Markle to Sarah Ferguson and articles about Priscilla Presley and Sarah Ferguson — entertainment/viral coverage, not company news. MSN: Meghan Markle comparison
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on Sarah Ferguson’s personal comments about other celebrities and alleged tensions with the royal family — tabloid/celebrity reporting, no corporate implications. MSN: Sarah Ferguson on Lisa Marie Presley
• Neutral Sentiment: Sports feature on Brighton’s Evan Ferguson (soccer) — player/club coverage, not related to Ferguson plc’s business. NYT: Evan Ferguson feature

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.