Atria Investments Inc Buys 4,259 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Atria Investments Inc increased its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 38.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,401 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,259 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $3,459,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $43,000. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in Ferguson by 61.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 242 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $237.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.00.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE FERG opened at $261.34 on Monday. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.10 billion, a PE ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The business’s 50-day moving average is $240.98 and its 200 day moving average is $237.77.

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

Ferguson Increases Dividend

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

About Ferguson

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.