Key Points
- Insider sale: Ferguson insider Jake Schlicher sold 3,138 shares for approximately $686,406 at an average price of $218.74, reducing his position by 24.85%. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
- Financial performance: Ferguson reported quarterly earnings of $3.39 per share, exceeding analysts’ $3.23 estimate, on $8.75 billion in revenue. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.89, yielding approximately 1.6% annually.
- Analyst outlook: Ferguson has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with an average analyst price target of $285.78 versus a recent share price of $222.95. Institutional investors own approximately 81.98% of the company’s stock.
Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) VP Anthony Camposano sold 1,580 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total value of $345,609.20. Following the sale, the vice president owned 10,952 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,395,640.48. This trade represents a 12.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Ferguson Stock Up 0.0%
Ferguson stock opened at $222.95 on Thursday. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $212.13 and a one year high of $271.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $229.04 and a 200 day moving average of $234.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock has a market cap of $43.13 billion, a PE ratio of 26.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14.
Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. The business 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.
Ferguson Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st were given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research analysts have weighed in on FERG shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $285.78.
Read Our Latest Research Report on FERG
Institutional Trading of Ferguson
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FERG. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 50.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company's stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 93.5% in the 2nd quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company's stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Ferguson News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:
- Neutral Sentiment: Six insiders collectively sold 27,327 shares worth approximately $6.0 million on October 12. The sellers included CFO William Brundage, COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano and other insiders. Each retained a meaningful position in Ferguson following the transactions. SEC insider transaction filings
- Negative Sentiment: The volume of sales across multiple insiders may create modest near-term pressure on investor sentiment, particularly because individual holdings declined by roughly 6% to 25%. However, the pre-arranged nature of the plans suggests the sales were scheduled rather than necessarily driven by concerns about Ferguson’s business or valuation. SEC insider sale filing
Ferguson Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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