Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the nine analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $233.38.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on FERG. UBS Group increased their target price on Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th.

Ferguson Trading Up 3.4 %

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $216.04 on Tuesday. Ferguson has a 52-week low of $166.21 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.37 billion, a PE ratio of 25.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $201.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $202.58.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.85% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.77 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Ferguson will post 9.77 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th were given a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 27th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 37.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ferguson news, insider Ian T. Graham sold 5,778 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.27, for a total transaction of $1,162,938.06. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,938 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,195,141.26. This represents a 49.32 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at $224,271.36. This trade represents a 70.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901. Insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth about $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter worth $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Company 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.