Regency Capital Management Inc. DE Sells 4,975 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG)

Regency Capital Management Inc. DE trimmed its holdings in shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) by 34.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,529 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,975 shares during the quarter. Ferguson accounts for about 0.9% of Regency Capital Management Inc. DE’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Regency Capital Management Inc. DE’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $1,654,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 423.0% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,462,836 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,475,000 after buying an additional 1,183,143 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Ferguson by 7,632.6% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 677,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,626,000 after acquiring an additional 668,920 shares during the period. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 133.3% in the 3rd quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 700,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $138,999,000 after acquiring an additional 400,000 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 76.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 867,593 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,281,000 after purchasing an additional 377,283 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 910.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 366,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,529,000 after purchasing an additional 329,786 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG stock opened at $180.68 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $36.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.24. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $167.27 and a 52-week high of $225.63. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $189.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $197.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.83 dividend. This is a positive change from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FERG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Ferguson from $221.00 to $189.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Zelman & Associates cut shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $219.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $220.10.

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.