Quantbot Technologies LP Boosts Stock Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Quantbot Technologies LP increased its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 728.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,992 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 56,272 shares during the quarter. Ferguson comprises approximately 0.5% of Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $12,707,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,468,003 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,668,462,000 after purchasing an additional 288,935 shares in the last quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $3,453,000. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in Ferguson by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 172,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,833,000 after acquiring an additional 13,150 shares during the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth $9,966,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 34,138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,778,000 after purchasing an additional 1,247 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $216.04 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $201.21 and a 200 day moving average of $202.58. The stock has a market cap of $43.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.56, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.20. 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 plc has a 52-week low of $166.21 and a 52-week high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.53% and a net margin of 5.85%. Ferguson’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.77 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.77 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th were given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 27th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.05%.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, CAO Richard Winckler sold 1,325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.75, for a total value of $267,318.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $201,750. The trade was a 56.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,271.36. The trade was a 70.16 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901 over the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $233.38.

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.