XTX Topco Ltd Makes New $2.56 Million Investment in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 13,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in FERG. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $32,000. MCF Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth about $47,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in Ferguson by 538.1% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 402 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Ferguson by 2,462.5% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ FERG opened at $205.52 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.50 billion, a PE ratio of 22.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.13 and a beta of 1.21. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $147.62 and a 1 year high of $225.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $204.35 and its 200-day moving average is $206.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.89% and a net margin of 6.33%. Ferguson’s revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.63 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 4th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.54%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 34.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Ferguson from $238.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays boosted their price target on Ferguson from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.57.

Ferguson Profile

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.