Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Sells 180 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd reduced its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,549 shares of the company’s stock after selling 180 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $3,220,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in FERG. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Ferguson by 423.0% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,462,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,475,000 after buying an additional 1,183,143 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 7,632.6% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 677,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,626,000 after acquiring an additional 668,920 shares during the period. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 133.3% in the 3rd quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 700,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $138,999,000 after purchasing an additional 400,000 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 76.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 867,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,281,000 after purchasing an additional 377,283 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 910.3% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 366,015 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,529,000 after purchasing an additional 329,786 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of FERG stock opened at $177.25 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $35.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.28, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $183.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $196.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $167.27 and a 52 week high of $225.63.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.87%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Zelman & Associates cut Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Ferguson from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $217.73.

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.