Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Purchased by Anchor Capital Advisors LLC

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 18.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 188,456 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 29,304 shares during the quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Ferguson worth $32,710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Ferguson by 1,350.0% during 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 in the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.5 %

FERG opened at $175.21 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $178.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $193.45. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $167.27 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on FERG. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 target price (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Berenberg Bank lifted 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.