Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider James Paisley Sells 2,300 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider James Paisley sold 2,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.59, for a total transaction of $594,757.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,360,959.17. The trade was a 30.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Ferguson Stock Down 1.8%

Ferguson stock traded down $4.74 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $259.76. 336,526 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,671,492. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $212.13 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The firm has a market cap of $50.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $227.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.30.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $9.03 billion for the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.73% and a return on equity of 37.69%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.50 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 20th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Key Ferguson News

Here’s some of the latest news about FERG:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays said Ferguson’s stock is expected to rise, adding to the recent favorable analyst outlook. Ferguson Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s shares previously gapped up after the company reported quarterly EPS of $3.43, above the $3.28 analyst consensus. Ferguson Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $270 from $256 but kept a neutral rating, indicating a modestly higher valuation view without turning bullish. Ferguson Stock Gets Price Target Increase from UBS Group

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in Ferguson by 103.5% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FERG. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Ferguson from $288.00 to $296.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $285.00 to $288.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.50.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc is a distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), waterworks, and fire protection products. It supplies contractors and other professional customers with products, services, and expertise for residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. The company serves customers primarily in the United States and Canada through branches, distribution centers, and digital channels. Its offerings include pipes, valves and fittings, plumbing fixtures, HVAC equipment, water and wastewater products, and fire protection systems.