Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Shares Sold by Avior Wealth Management LLC

Avior Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 24.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 611 shares of the company’s stock after selling 196 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $121,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in FERG. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $27,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $40,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ FERG opened at $208.94 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $166.21 and a 12-month high of $225.63. The stock has a market cap of $41.94 billion, a PE ratio of 24.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a 50-day moving average of $200.83 and a 200 day moving average of $202.73.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.12. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.85% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The company had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.77 EPS. Ferguson’s revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th were paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.51%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $234.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $233.38.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total value of $224,963.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at $378,696.04. The trade was a 37.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at $224,271.36. The trade was a 70.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock valued at $2,477,901. Corporate insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

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.