Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $232.50.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on FERG. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Citigroup raised their price target on Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $202.09 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.64, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.20. Ferguson has a one year low of $154.61 and a one year high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $198.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $203.41.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.53% and a net margin of 5.85%. The business had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ferguson will post 9.77 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.56%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 37.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at $378,696.04. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total value of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at $224,271.36. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total value of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $378,696.04. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901. 0.16% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norden Group LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at $1,675,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in Ferguson by 6.9% during the first quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 38,535 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,417,000 after acquiring an additional 2,487 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 4.5% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $507,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 10.6% in the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 21,757 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,752,000 after acquiring an additional 2,077 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 132.6% in the 1st quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,375 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,829,000 after purchasing an additional 4,775 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.