Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) COO William Thees, Jr. Sells 217 Shares of Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) COO William Thees, Jr. sold 217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total transaction of $47,876.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,370 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,141,793.10. The trade was a 0.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.2%

FERG traded up $2.66 during trading on Friday, reaching $231.42. 2,143,287 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is $228.04 and its 200 day moving average is $234.52. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $212.13 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. Equities analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on FERG shares. Wolfe Research started coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $261.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.78.

Ferguson News Roundup

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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Saudi Central Bank increased its position in Ferguson by 88.5% in the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 13,607 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,229,000 after buying an additional 6,389 shares in the last quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich raised its stake in Ferguson by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich now owns 326,515 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,509,000 after buying an additional 7,916 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,183,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 13.2% in the second quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 96,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,932,000 after acquiring an additional 11,196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lmcg Investments LLC bought a new position in Ferguson in the first quarter worth approximately $1,806,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.