Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Sold by Blueshift Asset Management LLC

Blueshift Asset Management LLC cut its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 43.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,163 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,644 shares during the quarter. Blueshift Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $375,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Zelman & Associates downgraded Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $211.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 price objective on Ferguson and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.67.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG stock opened at $163.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $32.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $175.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $189.05. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $152.52 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.74 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 21st. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

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.