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

Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $217.73.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on FERG shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Oppenheimer started coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective for the company. Berenberg Bank lifted their target price on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target for the company.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wahed Invest LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Wahed Invest LLC now owns 5,022 shares of the company’s stock valued at $872,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. LGT Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Third Point LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Third Point LLC now owns 1,200,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $208,284,000 after purchasing an additional 235,000 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $728,000. Finally, Utah Retirement Systems increased its position in Ferguson by 233.7% in the 4th quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 36,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,267,000 after buying an additional 25,241 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.4 %

FERG stock opened at $184.29 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $180.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $194.99. Ferguson has a 52-week low of $167.27 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.24.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were given a $0.83 dividend. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.80%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.86%.

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.