Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $240.7993.

Several research firms have recently issued reports on FERG. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ferguson to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $247.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 18th.

View Our Latest Research Report on Ferguson

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In related news, insider Kevin Michael Murphy sold 8,800 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.13, for a total transaction of $2,060,344.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 159,931 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,444,645.03. The trade was a 5.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 2,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $523,940.67. This trade represents a 57.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its stake in Ferguson by 103.6% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Ferguson by 230.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.9%

FERG opened at $251.81 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.68. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $235.67. The company has a market capitalization of $49.35 billion, a PE ratio of 26.96, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.18. Ferguson has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $253.59.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.00 by $0.48. The business had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.44 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.21% and a net margin of 6.03%.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 26th were given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 26th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is 35.55%.

About Ferguson

Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers.

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