Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Purchased by Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 34,717 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $6,027,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in FERG. Barclays PLC grew its position in Ferguson by 76.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 867,593 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,281,000 after acquiring an additional 377,283 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth $112,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth about $66,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,371,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $477,858,000 after buying an additional 133,769 shares during the period. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 518,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,031,000 after buying an additional 46,947 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ FERG opened at $169.73 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $164.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $182.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.94 billion, a PE ratio of 20.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.17.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last issued its 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). The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 34.63% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.74 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 1.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target for the company. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 price target on Ferguson and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.38.

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.