Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Bought by Venturi Wealth Management LLC

Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,432 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 111 shares during the quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $249,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Ferguson by 14.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 8,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,436,000 after purchasing an additional 1,032 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 3,086 shares of the company’s stock valued at $536,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 28.1% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 3,801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $660,000 after acquiring an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 339.9% in the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 1,234,776 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,320,000 after acquiring an additional 954,092 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG stock opened at $175.90 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $167.27 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The business has a fifty day moving average of $178.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $194.10. The stock has a market cap of $35.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.24.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.83 dividend. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. 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. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 39.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FERG. Citigroup decreased their target price on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group restated 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. Barclays decreased their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has an average 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.