Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Sells 17,205 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC trimmed its position in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 72.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 6,543 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,205 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,137,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth about $372,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $85,343,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $86,000. SWAN Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 44.2% in the fourth quarter. SWAN Capital LLC now owns 793 shares of the company’s stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ascent Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 8,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,469,000 after buying an additional 458 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $211.56 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $173.52 and its 200 day moving average is $177.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.30 billion, a PE ratio of 25.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $225.63. 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 (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.44. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Investors of record on Friday, June 20th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 20th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FERG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $215.93.

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.