Ferguson plc $FERG Stock Holdings Lifted by Captrust Financial Advisors

Captrust Financial Advisors grew its position in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 218,961 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,180 shares during the quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors’ holdings in Ferguson were worth $49,174,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $479,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $20,662,000. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,426,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $438,000. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $4,576,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 2.0%

NYSE:FERG opened at $221.40 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $248.75 and its 200-day moving average is $240.23. 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 plc has a 12 month low of $146.00 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $43.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.24 by ($0.25). Ferguson had a return on equity of 40.37% and a net margin of 6.93%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.52 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 35.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $278.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Ferguson from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.93.

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.