Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by APG Asset Management N.V.

APG Asset Management N.V. cut its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 11.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,029,518 shares of the company’s stock after selling 266,770 shares during the quarter. Ferguson makes up approximately 0.8% of APG Asset Management N.V.’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. APG Asset Management N.V.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $455,789,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 4.6% during the third quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $223,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 3.5% during the second quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,342 shares of the company’s stock worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 7.5% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock worth $150,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in Ferguson by 21.7% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 292 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Net Worth Advisory Group lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 1,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $262.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Two equities 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 data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.62.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE:FERG opened at $260.62 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $271.64. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $247.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced 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 return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.52 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 35.96%.

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.