Waverton Investment Management Ltd Has $174.49 Million Holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 8.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 878,708 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 65,804 shares during the period. Ferguson accounts for about 2.9% of Waverton Investment Management Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Waverton Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $174,489,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 1.8% during the first quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $686,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 150.6% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 150,986 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,980,000 after buying an additional 90,732 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 13.3% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 140,025 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,595,000 after buying an additional 16,458 shares during the period. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter valued at approximately $260,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Ferguson

In other news, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $378,696.04. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Ferguson news, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total value of $224,963.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at $378,696.04. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Victoria Morrissey sold 1,468 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.20, for a total transaction of $295,361.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,047,246. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock worth $2,477,901. 0.16% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG stock opened at $208.73 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $41.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $198.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $203.33. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $159.20 and a one year high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.85% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.77 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.77 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th were paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 27th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on FERG. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.38.

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.