Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) Receives “Neutral” Rating from UBS Group

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating restated by research analysts at UBS Group in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They presently have a $193.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $230.00. UBS Group’s target price suggests a potential upside of 12.16% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $222.40.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $172.08 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $34.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.66, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $196.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $199.26. Ferguson has a twelve month low of $170.99 and a twelve month high of $225.63.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In other news, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at $224,271.36. This trade represents a 70.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $378,696.04. The trade was a 37.27 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised 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 last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.