Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC Sells 37,472 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC trimmed its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 60.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 24,448 shares of the company’s stock after selling 37,472 shares during the period. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $4,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 1.8% during the third quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 3,307 shares of the company’s stock worth $657,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Ferguson by 3.2% in the third quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,952 shares of the company’s stock valued at $388,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,137,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 33.8% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commerce Bank grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 2,666 shares of the company’s stock valued at $529,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $180.68 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $189.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $197.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.58, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $167.27 and a 52-week high of $225.63.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America raised 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 report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays reduced their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price objective (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $220.10.

Ferguson 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.