22,728 Shares in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Acquired by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 22,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,945,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $162.62 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $175.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $189.40. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $152.52 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $32.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.52, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its 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). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.74 EPS. Ferguson’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Wolfe Research began coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price for the company. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 target price (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.64.

Ferguson Company 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.