Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) VP Sells $345,609.20 in Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 10,952 shares in the company, valued at $2,395,640.48. This represents a 12.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Robert Anthony Jr. Camposano also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 15th, Anthony Camposano sold 185 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $41,532.50.
• On Wednesday, October 14th, Anthony Camposano sold 201 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $44,346.63.

Ferguson Stock Performance

FERG opened at $231.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $228.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $234.52. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $212.13 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were paid a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

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

About Ferguson

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.