Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Receives $221.50 Consensus Price Target from Brokerages

Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $221.50.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $236.00 to $232.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Ferguson from $217.00 to $211.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 60.0% in the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $190.04 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.38 billion, a PE ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.08 and a beta of 1.22. Ferguson has a 1 year low of $147.62 and a 1 year high of $224.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $206.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $203.28.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 4th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $7.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.32 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.33% and a return on equity of 36.89%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.20 EPS. Analysts predict that Ferguson will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 14th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 14th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.54%.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.