GAMMA Investing LLC Takes $341,000 Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $341,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in Ferguson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 150.0% during the 3rd quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 320 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.3 %

NASDAQ:FERG opened at $209.12 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $211.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $188.93. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $133.79 and a 12 month high of $224.86. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $42.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.64, a P/E/G ratio of 8.85 and a beta of 1.27.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.82 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $6.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.72 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.00% and a return on equity of 37.99%. The company’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.91 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.51%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Raymond James downgraded shares of Ferguson from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $166.50.

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.