V Square Quantitative Management LLC Has $660,000 Stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 28.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,801 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 833 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $660,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Up 0.4 %

Ferguson stock opened at $184.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $167.27 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $180.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $194.99. The firm has a market cap of $36.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.12, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.24.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.80%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on FERG. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 price target (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $215.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.