Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Purchased by Qsemble Capital Management LP

Qsemble Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 12.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,948 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,073 shares during the quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $5,999,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 23.9% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,940 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the first quarter worth about $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after buying an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $257,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 3.6%

FERG stock opened at $223.63 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $43.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.00, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $241.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $243.71. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $176.26 and a 52 week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.14. Ferguson had a return on equity of 38.92% and a net margin of 6.98%.The firm had revenue of $7.47 billion during the quarter. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.25 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Ferguson from $271.00 to $281.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Truist Financial upped 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. UBS Group upped their price objective on Ferguson from $220.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Ferguson from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” 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 six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $269.73.

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.