Ferguson plc $FERG Shares Sold by Dudley & Shanley Inc.

Dudley & Shanley Inc. trimmed its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 100,032 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,193 shares during the period. Ferguson makes up 3.6% of Dudley & Shanley Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Dudley & Shanley Inc. owned about 0.05% of Ferguson worth $22,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions increased its position in Ferguson by 50.5% during the second quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Ferguson by 93.5% during the second quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in Ferguson by 26.1% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,490 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,191,430.80. This represents a 35.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FERG traded up $2.63 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $225.56. 249,142 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,697,819. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $231.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $234.63. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $212.13 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $43.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Barclays increased their price objective on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.33.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a North American distributor of plumbing and heating products, supplying professional customers across the residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure markets. The company serves contractors, builders, remodelers, municipalities, industrial businesses and other trade professionals through branch locations, distribution centers and digital ordering platforms.

Its product offerings include plumbing supplies and fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, water and wastewater products, fire protection systems, waterworks materials, industrial piping and related maintenance, repair and operating supplies.