GFI Investment Counsel Ltd. Has $49.01 Million Holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

GFI Investment Counsel Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 282,388 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,213 shares during the period. Ferguson accounts for about 5.6% of GFI Investment Counsel Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. GFI Investment Counsel Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $49,014,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 176.6% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 10,147 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,015,000 after acquiring an additional 6,479 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 6.6% in the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 3,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $677,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter worth approximately $204,000. Verition Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 555.8% during the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 39,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,868,000 after acquiring an additional 33,583 shares during the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.1 %

FERG opened at $160.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.25, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $173.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.49. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $152.52 and a one year 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.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.74 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 40.84%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on FERG. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 price objective (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Zelman & Associates downgraded Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Ferguson from $205.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.67.

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.