Russell Investments Group Ltd. Trims Stock Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 0.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 57,708 shares of the company’s stock after selling 92 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $10,019,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 6,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,137,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $610,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Ferguson by 41.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 3,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $521,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

NASDAQ FERG opened at $164.61 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.76, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $146.00 and a 1-year 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $168.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $184.42.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during 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 firm’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.74 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.02%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on FERG shares. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $174.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.62.

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.