Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider Robert Anthony Jr. Camposano Sells 1,580 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) VP Anthony Camposano sold 1,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total value of $345,609.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 10,952 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,395,640.48. This trade represents a 12.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG opened at $228.63 on Friday. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $212.13 and a one year high of $271.64. The business has a fifty day moving average of $228.56 and a 200 day moving average of $234.55.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 21st were paid a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 41.83%.

Ferguson News Summary

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.78.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wedbush Securities Inc. lifted 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 purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 5.2% during the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 1,109 shares of the company’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Ferguson by 3.8% during the second quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $366,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Natural Investments LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson by 6.9% during the second quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by 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.