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

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Kevin Murphy sold 685 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total transaction of $151,131.55. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 172,325 shares in the company, valued at $38,020,064.75. This represents a 0.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 transaction 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 transaction of $2,440,726.02.

Ferguson Stock Performance

NYSE:FERG opened at $231.42 on Friday. 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 has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $212.13 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $228.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $234.52.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced 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. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 37.24%. The business had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on FERG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $261.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. UBS Group increased their target price on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Melius Research started coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $252.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.78.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 4.3% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 1,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $284,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 5.2% in the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 1,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.8% in the second quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the company’s stock worth $366,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Natural Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 6.9% in the second quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% in the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.

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.