ExodusPoint Capital Management LP Sells 26,542 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

ExodusPoint Capital Management LP lessened its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 49.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,553 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,542 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $4,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of FERG. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 906.7% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in Ferguson by 41.1% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Down 2.0 %

FERG opened at $155.22 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $171.69 and a 200 day moving average of $186.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $145.10 and a 12 month high of $225.63. The company has a market cap of $31.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.76 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. Ferguson’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $193.00 price objective (down from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 price target on shares of Ferguson and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Ferguson from $205.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $198.62.

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.