Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG – Get Free Report) insider Ian Graham sold 99 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $21,842.37. Following the sale, the insider owned 11,344 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,502,826.72. This trade represents a 0.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Ferguson Price Performance
FERG stock traded up $2.66 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $231.42. 2,143,287 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $228.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $234.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $212.13 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The company has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14.
Ferguson (NYSE:FERG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. On average, analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.
Ferguson Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 41.83%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have commented on FERG shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $315.00 to $265.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Melius Research began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 target price on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ferguson
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth $1,789,368,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 2.1% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 6,107,108 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,424,075,000 after acquiring an additional 125,317 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 1.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,619,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,100,474,000 after acquiring an additional 48,544 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 9.2% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,868,181 shares of the company’s stock valued at $668,809,000 after acquiring an additional 240,666 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 0.8% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,055,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,796,000 after acquiring an additional 16,866 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson
Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s most recent quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.39 versus the $3.23 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $285.78, well above recent trading levels, which may support investor confidence.
- Positive Sentiment: The company continues to offer shareholder returns through its quarterly dividend, equivalent to $3.56 annually and a yield of approximately 1.6%. Ferguson also retains strong profitability, including a reported 37.24% return on equity.
- Neutral Sentiment: Several Ferguson executives and insiders reported stock sales during the week, including COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano, Ian Graham, Jake Schlicher, Allison Stirrup and Kevin Murphy. The reported transactions involved thousands of shares and several million dollars in aggregate proceeds. Ferguson insider trading report
- Neutral Sentiment: All of the disclosed sales were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. That reduces their significance as a signal that management expects Ferguson’s business or valuation to weaken, particularly because the sellers retained substantial positions.
- Negative Sentiment: The concentration of insider selling could nevertheless create modest near-term pressure on sentiment and may limit the stock’s upside, especially with Ferguson trading below its 200-day moving average.
Ferguson Company Profile
Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a North American distributor of plumbing and heating products, supplying professional customers across the residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure markets. The company serves contractors, builders, remodelers, municipalities, industrial businesses and other trade professionals through branch locations, distribution centers and digital ordering platforms.
Its product offerings include plumbing supplies and fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, water and wastewater products, fire protection systems, waterworks materials, industrial piping and related maintenance, repair and operating supplies.
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