Ferguson plc $FERG Stake Boosted by Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 3.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 61,001 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,001 shares during the period. Ferguson comprises 0.9% of Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $13,700,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in FERG. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $395,401,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 39.3% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,255,661 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,830,000 after purchasing an additional 1,201,493 shares in the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter worth $130,650,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 89.5% during the second quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 759,687 shares of the company’s stock valued at $165,422,000 after buying an additional 358,853 shares in the last quarter. Finally, C WorldWide Group Holding A S grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 108.8% during the third quarter. C WorldWide Group Holding A S now owns 535,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,232,000 after buying an additional 278,971 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $263.33 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.18. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $265.00. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $240.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.97.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.45 earnings per share.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Friday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

Ferguson 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.