Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Ian Graham Sells 1,854 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Ian Graham sold 1,854 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total value of $405,543.96. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 11,511 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,517,916.14. The trade was a 13.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Price Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $222.95 on Thursday. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $212.13 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $229.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $234.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.13 billion, a PE ratio of 26.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st were paid a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FERG. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $261.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.78.

More Ferguson News

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 4.3% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $284,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. L2 Asset Management LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 5.2% during the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 1,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Ferguson by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Natural Investments LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.