Mcdonald Partners LLC Takes Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Mcdonald Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,780 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $309,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price target (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Berenberg Bank upped their price target on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $217.73.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $185.79 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $37.15 billion, a PE ratio of 19.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.24. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $167.27 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $179.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $194.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.86%.

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.