KBC Group NV Has $20.76 Million Position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

KBC Group NV lessened its holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 0.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 119,629 shares of the company’s stock after selling 494 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $20,764,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Blue Trust Inc. grew 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 period. PFG Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at $467,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 114,880 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,940,000 after acquiring an additional 4,617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 910.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 366,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,529,000 after acquiring an additional 329,786 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ FERG opened at $182.40 on Wednesday. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $167.27 and a 1 year high of $225.63. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $188.56 and its 200-day moving average is $197.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.47 billion, a PE ratio of 21.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.24.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.82%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays reduced their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $219.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.10.

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.