Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 11,091 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 80.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,650 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,091 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $460,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 136 shares during the period. LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 106.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Berbice Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of Ferguson by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NASDAQ FERG opened at $184.54 on Friday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $36.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $146.00 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $165.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $179.62.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st were issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 target price on shares of Ferguson and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a “hold” rating and a $174.00 target price for the company. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.38.

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.