Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider William Thees, Jr. Sells 3,510 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) COO William Thees, Jr. sold 3,510 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $772,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,680 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,189,600. This represents a 9.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Ferguson stock opened at $228.63 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $228.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $234.55. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $212.13 and a 52 week high of $271.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.56, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly 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. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target 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. Two 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $285.78.

Key Ferguson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street remains constructive on Ferguson, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.78, implying considerable potential upside from recent trading levels. Several firms recently raised their targets, including Barclays, Bernstein, Baird and Wells Fargo. Ferguson analyst and market information
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with earnings of $3.39 per share versus the $3.23 consensus estimate on revenue of $8.75 billion. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.89 per share, or $3.56 annualized, supporting a yield of roughly 1.6%. Ferguson earnings and dividend information
• Neutral Sentiment: Six Ferguson 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 executives. All transactions were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, and the insiders retained meaningful holdings afterward. Ferguson insider sales report
• Negative Sentiment: The concentration of selling across senior executives could weigh on near-term sentiment, particularly as individual positions declined by roughly 6% to 25%. However, because the sales were scheduled in advance, they do not necessarily indicate deteriorating confidence in Ferguson’s business or outlook. SEC insider transaction filing

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its position in Ferguson by 4.3% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. L2 Asset Management LLC increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Ferguson by 3.8% during the second 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 last quarter. Natural Investments LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 6.9% during the second quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. 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.