2,054 Shares in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Bought by First Financial Bankshares Inc

First Financial Bankshares Inc bought a new position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 2,054 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $357,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.0 %

FERG stock opened at $162.62 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $152.52 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The business’s 50 day moving average is $175.48 and its 200-day moving average is $189.40. The firm has a market cap of $32.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.74 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ferguson has an average 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.