Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Acquired by Saturna Capital Corp

Saturna Capital Corp raised its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 11.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 237,018 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 25,126 shares during the period. Saturna Capital Corp owned approximately 0.12% of Ferguson worth $41,139,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Natural Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $937,000. Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 3,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. boosted its stake in Ferguson by 25.4% during the 4th quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 106,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,398,000 after purchasing an additional 21,500 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 52.9% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 52,210 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,062,000 after purchasing an additional 18,072 shares during the period. Finally, First Pacific Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. First Pacific Advisors LP now owns 1,102,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $191,403,000 after buying an additional 4,183 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $157.54 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.91, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $176.90 and a 200-day moving average of $191.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $154.09 and a 12-month high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The company’s revenue was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.74 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on FERG. Barclays decreased their target price on Ferguson from $234.00 to $211.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $217.73.

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.