Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Receives $230.44 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $230.44.

FERG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Barclays lowered their price target on Ferguson from $245.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Ian T. Graham sold 5,778 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.27, for a total transaction of $1,162,938.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,938 shares in the company, valued at $1,195,141.26. The trade was a 49.32 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $378,696.04. The trade was a 37.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its position in Ferguson by 25.4% during the second quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,067 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,756,000 after buying an additional 1,835 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 375.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,289,864 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,218,032,000 after purchasing an additional 4,966,821 shares in the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 56.0% during the second quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $502,000 after purchasing an additional 931 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd bought a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter worth $559,000. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 1,883.1% during the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 129,436 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,065,000 after buying an additional 122,909 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $177.31 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $200.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $201.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Ferguson has a 12-month low of $172.00 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.21.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.83 dividend. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.87%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.86%.

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.