Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Ian Graham Sells 238 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Ian Graham sold 238 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $53,431.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,971 shares in the company, valued at $2,462,989.50. The trade was a 2.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Stock Performance

FERG traded up $2.66 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $231.42. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,143,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $212.13 and a 52 week high of $271.64. The company’s 50-day moving average is $228.04 and its 200-day moving average is $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 firm has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. The business had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st were given a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kintegral Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 0.6% during the third quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 14,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,229,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 1.8% in the third quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC now owns 13,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,976,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.5% in the third quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 83,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,582,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 38.9% in the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,264,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at about $4,079,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on FERG. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $261.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.

Trending Headlines about 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.