International Assets Investment Management LLC Invests $2.27 Million in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 11,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,274,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 187 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 56,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,824,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. Regency Capital Management Inc. DE lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Regency Capital Management Inc. DE now owns 4,502 shares of the company’s stock worth $869,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $201,000. Finally, Essex Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth $215,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James cut Ferguson from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Ferguson from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $166.50.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $208.80 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $210.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $187.74. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $133.10 and a 1-year high of $224.86. The stock has a market cap of $42.35 billion, a PE ratio of 24.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 1.27.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 5th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.82 by ($0.08). Ferguson had a net margin of 6.00% and a return on equity of 37.99%. The company had revenue of $6.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.91 earnings per share. Ferguson’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.74%.

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.