Freestone Capital Holdings LLC Sells 293 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Freestone Capital Holdings LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 16.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,527 shares of the company’s stock after selling 293 shares during the period. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $265,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 3.2% during the third quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,952 shares of the company’s stock worth $388,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,137,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 33.8% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 3,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $610,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commerce Bank grew its position in Ferguson by 3.8% in the third quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 2,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $529,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of FERG opened at $168.15 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $177.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $192.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $163.01 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.83 dividend. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.97%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on FERG. Bank of America raised Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Ferguson from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price objective (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $217.73.

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.