Financial Management Professionals Inc. Acquires 217 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 12.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,955 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $339,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth $40,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective on the stock. Berenberg Bank boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $220.10.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $177.50 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $35.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $167.27 and a fifty-two week high of $225.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $191.58 and a 200 day moving average of $198.17.

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 issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is an increase from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.87%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is 39.86%.

Ferguson 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.