Proficio Capital Partners LLC Acquires Shares of 59,535 Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 59,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,333,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of FERG opened at $159.82 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $152.52 and a 12 month high of $225.63. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $175.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $190.10. The firm has a market cap of $31.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued 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 net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on FERG. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price target (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report 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. Barclays decreased their price target on Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Three research 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, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $201.64.

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.