Sandbar Asset Management LLP Decreases Holdings in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Sandbar Asset Management LLP cut its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 26.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,269 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,008 shares during the period. Ferguson comprises approximately 3.6% of Sandbar Asset Management LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Sandbar Asset Management LLP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,301,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. EA Series Trust acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $857,000. Donaldson Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Ferguson by 13.8% in the 2nd quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC now owns 7,749 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,219,000 after purchasing an additional 942 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Ferguson by 8.9% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,497,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,283,000 after purchasing an additional 122,778 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 5,880.5% during the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 4,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $656,000 after purchasing an additional 4,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 4th. Raymond James started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Friday, September 1st. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Bank of America lowered shares of Ferguson from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. They set an “equal weight” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,142.63.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.0 %

FERG stock traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $165.72. 426,724 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,264,686. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $158.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $155.56. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $111.85 and a 52 week high of $171.06. The company has a market cap of $33.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18, a P/E/G ratio of 13.41 and a beta of 1.15.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 26th. The company reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $7.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.56 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 41.58%. The firm’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.85 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, October 6th were issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 5th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ferguson

In other news, CAO Richard Winckler sold 1,823 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.71, for a total value of $300,266.33. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 1,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $175,251.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Richard Winckler sold 1,823 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.71, for a total transaction of $300,266.33. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,064 shares in the company, valued at $175,251.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kevin Michael Murphy sold 17,978 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.71, for a total transaction of $2,961,156.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 124,110 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,442,158.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 27,703 shares of company stock worth $4,563,008. Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

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.