Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Jake Schlicher Sells 314 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Jake Schlicher sold 314 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $70,493.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,621 shares in the company, valued at $1,935,414.50. This represents a 3.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Jake Schlicher also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, October 14th, Jake Schlicher sold 217 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $47,876.71.
• On Monday, October 12th, Jake Schlicher sold 3,138 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total value of $686,406.12.
• On Friday, August 28th, Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total value of $1,195,472.84.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE FERG traded up $2.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $231.42. 2,143,287 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $212.13 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $228.04 and a 200 day moving average of $234.52. The stock has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a price-to-earnings 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.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its 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. The company 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Melius Research started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price target on the stock. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 50.5% during the second quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% during the third 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. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 93.5% in the 2nd quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.