Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) is expected to post earnings of $9.85 per share for the fiscal year 2024, as forecasted by equity research analysts at William Blair. This estimate has been increased from their prior forecast of $9.84, indicating a positive outlook for the company’s performance.

Other analysts have also shared their insights on Ferguson’s stock. TheStreet upgraded the company’s rating from ‘c+’ to ‘b-‘, while Raymond James downgraded it from ‘outperform’ to ‘market perform’, and Wells Fargo & Company raised its rating from ‘equal weight’ to ‘overweight’. MarketBeat data shows that the company currently holds a consensus rating of ‘Moderate Buy’, with an average target price of $166.50.

On Friday, Ferguson’s stock opened at $198.75, with a 50-day moving average price of $195.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $175.64. The company has a market capitalization of $40.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.11, a P/E/G ratio of 14.40, and a beta of 1.27. Its quick ratio stands at 0.97, the current ratio at 1.71, and the debt-to-equity ratio at 0.68. The stock’s 52-week range is between $123.17 and $217.32.

In its latest earnings report released on March 5th, Ferguson reported an EPS of $1.74 for the quarter, falling short of analysts’ consensus estimates by $0.08. The company’s quarterly revenue was $6.67 billion, slightly below the consensus estimate of $6.72 billion. Ferguson’s net margin was 6.00% and the return on equity stood at 38.10%. The quarterly revenue saw a 2.2% decrease year-over-year.

Moreover, institutional investors and hedge funds have been actively adjusting their holdings in Ferguson. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP recently acquired a new position in the company.