Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Cuts Stock Holdings in Ferguson plc $FERG

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership cut its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 11.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 670,959 shares of the company’s stock after selling 88,728 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $150,684,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in FERG. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 23.9% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 2,940 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 1st quarter worth about $310,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 3,140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $503,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $257,000. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 30.2% during the 2nd quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 2,965 shares of the company’s stock worth $646,000 after purchasing an additional 688 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $265.10 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.88. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $246.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $239.77. The firm has a market cap of $51.84 billion, a PE ratio of 26.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.18.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.52 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 35.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on FERG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.62.

Ferguson News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several major brokers raised their price targets and ratings, signaling renewed buy-side interest: Barclays bumped its target to $295 and kept an overweight stance. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $285 and maintained an overweight rating, supporting upside expectations for FERG. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer increased its target to $280 with an outperform rating, reinforcing the positive analyst momentum. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management-level strategic targets — a push toward $40B revenue and 10%+ margins — provide a clear long‑term growth/margin story that supports higher valuations. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several media items reference people and places named “Ferguson” (celebrity and local crime stories) that are unrelated to the company and are unlikely to affect corporate fundamentals. Example coverage: celebrity/epstein-related articles and unrelated local news. Article Title

Ferguson Company 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.