Saturna Capital Corp Acquires 25,126 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Saturna Capital Corp increased its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 11.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 237,018 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,126 shares during the period. Saturna Capital Corp’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $41,139,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,137,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 33.8% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $610,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the period. Commerce Bank grew its stake in Ferguson by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 2,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $529,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 41.1% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $157.54 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $154.09 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $176.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $191.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Zelman & Associates downgraded Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $217.73.

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.