Core Viewpoint - Ferguson plc has experienced significant changes in institutional ownership, with some investors increasing their stakes while others have reduced theirs, indicating mixed sentiment in the market [2][3]. Group 1: Institutional Holdings - Armor Advisors L.L.C. reduced its stake in Ferguson by 59.7% in Q3, owning 15,386 shares after selling 22,750 shares, representing 1.9% of its holdings [2]. - Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake by 178.3% in Q3, now owning 128 shares valued at $31,000 after acquiring 82 additional shares [3]. - True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings by 145.3% in Q2, owning 130 shares valued at $28,000 after acquiring 77 shares [3]. - Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position worth approximately $43,000 in Q3 [3]. - Harbour Investments Inc. increased its holdings by 61.3% in Q2, now owning 242 shares valued at $53,000 [3]. - Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of Ferguson's stock [3]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Ferguson reported quarterly earnings of $2.84 EPS, beating the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.07, with revenue of $8.17 billion, up 5.1% year-over-year [5]. - The company has a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 35.73% [5]. Group 3: Stock Performance and Metrics - Ferguson's stock opened at $255.08, with a 1-year low of $146.00 and a high of $271.64 [4]. - The company has a market capitalization of $49.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.77, and a PEG ratio of 2.12 [4]. - The stock has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 1.01, and a current ratio of 1.88 [4]. Group 4: Dividend Information - Ferguson declared a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share, with an annualized dividend of $3.56 and a yield of 1.4% [6][7]. - The payout ratio stands at 35.96% [6]. Group 5: Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Ferguson, with two analysts rating it as Strong Buy, eleven as Buy, and six as Hold [8]. - The consensus price target for Ferguson is $253.00, with Robert W. Baird raising the target price from $262.00 to $265.00 [8].