Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Stake Lifted by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 14.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,766 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 356 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $480,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 32,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,359,000 after purchasing an additional 7,862 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Ferguson by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 778,737 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,247,000 after purchasing an additional 52,776 shares during the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $587,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new position in Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $970,000. Finally, Clean Yield Group increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 27.1% in the fourth quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 25,959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,506,000 after buying an additional 5,534 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $162.62 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $152.52 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $175.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $189.40.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.74 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.04%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FERG. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $189.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday. Zelman & Associates cut Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.64.

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.