Barclays Cuts Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) Price Target to $190.00

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Barclays from $211.00 to $190.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price target points to a potential upside of 21.81% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on FERG. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Ferguson from $234.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $190.00 price objective on Ferguson and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $193.00 target price (down previously from $230.00) on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $208.55.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of FERG traded down $1.00 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $155.98. 469,351 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,819,477. The stock has a market cap of $31.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. Ferguson has a 1-year low of $154.09 and a 1-year high of $225.63. The company has a 50 day moving average of $176.90 and a 200-day moving average of $191.11. 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 (NASDAQ:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $6.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.76 billion. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The firm’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.74 EPS. Analysts expect that Ferguson will post 9.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% during the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 106.3% in the fourth quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $39,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ferguson

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.