Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Kevin Michael Murphy Sells 685 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Kevin Murphy sold 685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $151,131.55. Following the sale, the insider owned 172,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $38,020,064.75. The trade was a 0.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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.

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

• On Thursday, October 15th, Kevin Murphy sold 1,776 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $398,712.00.
• On Monday, October 12th, Kevin Murphy sold 11,259 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total value of $2,440,726.02.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.2%

Ferguson stock traded up $2.66 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $231.42. The stock had a trading volume of 2,143,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $212.13 and a twelve month high of $271.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $228.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $234.52.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $315.00 to $265.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $261.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.

Trending Headlines about Ferguson

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 Trading of Ferguson

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. Kintegral Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 0.6% in the third quarter. Kintegral Advisory LLC now owns 14,448 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,229,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Hengehold Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC now owns 13,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,976,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 83,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,582,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,264,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,079,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.