Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Stock Position Lifted by Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted its stake in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 81.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 42,476 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,115 shares during the quarter. Ferguson makes up about 0.5% of Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,371,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 24,951 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,331,000 after buying an additional 10,265 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at $385,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,960 shares of the company’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFG Investments LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth $467,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 target price (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.10.

Ferguson Trading Down 2.0 %

Ferguson stock opened at $178.90 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $35.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 12 month low of $167.27 and a 12 month high of $225.63. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $188.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $197.57.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 39.86%.

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.