Caprock Group LLC Invests $1.06 Million in Ferguson plc $FERG

Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 4,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,062,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,002,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 11.7% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 20,523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,609,000 after buying an additional 2,145 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 21.0% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 322,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,522,000 after buying an additional 55,981 shares during the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $1,252,000. Finally, C WorldWide Group Holding A S raised its position in Ferguson by 108.8% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $261.34 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $240.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $237.77. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a market capitalization of $51.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Ferguson Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on FERG. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Ferguson from $225.00 to $220.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00.

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.