Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider Kevin Michael Murphy Sells 1,776 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Kevin Murphy sold 1,776 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $398,712.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 168,440 shares in the company, valued at $37,814,780. This trade represents a 1.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Kevin Michael Murphy also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, October 14th, Kevin Murphy sold 685 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total transaction of $151,131.55.
• On Monday, October 12th, Kevin Murphy sold 11,259 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total value of $2,440,726.02.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.3%

NYSE FERG traded up $2.98 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $231.74. 348,936 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,679,277. 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 firm has a market cap of $44.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $228.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $234.55. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $212.13 and a 52-week high of $271.64.

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

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s prior quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.39 versus the $3.23 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a generally bullish outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.78. Ferguson analyst and earnings information
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives, including COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano, Ian Graham, Jake Schlicher and Kevin Murphy, completed additional sales on October 14–15. The sellers retained substantial holdings, suggesting the transactions may reflect routine portfolio diversification rather than a broad loss of confidence in Ferguson’s business. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent filings show significant aggregate insider selling, including Kevin Murphy’s sale of 11,259 shares for approximately $2.44 million on October 12 and CFO William Brundage’s sale of 5,986 shares worth about $1.31 million. Additional sales by other executives bring the recent reported total to roughly $6 million, potentially weighing on sentiment. SEC insider sale filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zelman & Associates raised Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $315.00 to $265.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,789,368,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 7.8% during the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 5,981,791 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,331,621,000 after purchasing an additional 434,650 shares during the last quarter. Man Group plc raised its holdings in Ferguson by 613.8% during the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 401,395 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,263,000 after purchasing an additional 345,165 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Ferguson by 43.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,029,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,234,000 after purchasing an additional 312,756 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in Ferguson by 9.2% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,868,181 shares of the company’s stock worth $668,809,000 after purchasing an additional 240,666 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.