Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Sunday morning.

Several other research firms also recently commented on FERG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Ferguson from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $268.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $288.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.47.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE FERG opened at $225.41 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $240.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Ferguson has a 1 year low of $146.00 and a 1 year high of $256.93.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $2.84 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.07. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.73% and a net margin of 6.28%.The firm had revenue of $8.17 billion for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.45 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ferguson Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Ferguson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ferguson

In other Ferguson news, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total transaction of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. The trade was a 57.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ian T. Graham sold 4,864 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.22, for a total value of $1,134,382.08. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,769 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,811,886.18. This trade represents a 38.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 178.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 128 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the second quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Local chef Darnell “SuperChef” Ferguson sold out a pilot taping in Louisville — entertainment/local interest, unrelated to Ferguson plc. Louisville’s Darnell ‘SuperChef ‘ Ferguson sells out of tickets to new show pilot filming
• Neutral Sentiment: Actress Priah Ferguson publicly defended Winona Ryder amid social-media rumors — celebrity news, no corporate link to FERG. ‘Stranger Things’ star, Priah Ferguson, defends Winona Ryder amid TikTok rumours
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/transport report: “Ferguson” to discuss critical Highway 2 repairs with reopening possibly months away — infrastructure story tied to a person/place named Ferguson, not the company. Ferguson to discuss critical Highway 2 repairs, with full opening possibly months away
• Neutral Sentiment: Soccer/club rumor: stories about candidates to replace a manager named Ferguson at Roma and match coverage naming Evan Ferguson man-of-the-match — sports items, irrelevant to FERG. The two Roma main candidates to replace Ferguson in January Evan Ferguson named man of the match as Roma beat Genoa
• Neutral Sentiment: Political/budget reporting: stories about a politician named Ferguson submitting supplemental budgets and budget plans drawing criticism from health-care groups — state fiscal policy, not company-specific. Ferguson, GOP submit supplemental budgets Ferguson budget plan a patchwork WA health care groups raise alarm over Ferguson budget
• Neutral Sentiment: Entertainment/streaming: articles about Rebecca Ferguson’s sci‑fi show and Sarah Ferguson’s tell‑all book coverage — media/celebrity items not tied to the distributor FERG. Rebecca Ferguson’s 90% Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is in Danger of Being Forgotten Ahead of Season 3 Sarah Ferguson’s Tell-All Could Jeopardize ‘Family Ties’ — Source
• Neutral Sentiment: Local government request: a governor named Ferguson requested $11M for design of a new Spokane veterans home — a public project reference, not corporate news for Ferguson plc. Gov. Ferguson requests $11 million for design of new Spokane Veterans home
• Neutral Sentiment: Tabloid pieces about Sarah Ferguson’s personal life and book continue to circulate — celebrity/tabloid coverage, irrelevant to FERG investors. Sarah Ferguson Allegedly Warned Tell-All Book Would ‘Wreck What Is Left of Her Life’ ‘Disgraced’ Sarah Ferguson Allegedly ‘Needs Rich New Man’ to Fund Plastic Surgery Dreams This New Year

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.