576 Shares in Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Bought by Hilltop National Bank

Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $100,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,137,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $342,000. Dudley & Shanley Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $18,984,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter worth $1,028,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $505,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NASDAQ FERG opened at $170.10 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $169.64 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $194.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $198.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.80. The company has a market capitalization of $34.01 billion, a PE ratio of 20.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.24.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.86%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total value of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,271.36. This trade represents a 70.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 1,882 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $378,696.04. The trade was a 37.27 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 12,313 shares of company stock worth $2,477,901 over the last quarter. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 price objective (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $219.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Ferguson from $245.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $222.40.

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.