Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) CAO Richard Winckler Sells 919 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) CAO Richard Winckler sold 919 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.32, for a total transaction of $238,315.08. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 2,162 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $560,649.84. This trade represents a 29.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Ferguson Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:FERG opened at $255.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $49.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $228.32 and its 200-day moving average is $237.31. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $212.13 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.74.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.15. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.69% and a net margin of 6.73%. The business had revenue of $9.03 billion for the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 20th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 44.8% during the third quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 4,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $935,000 after acquiring an additional 1,300 shares during the period. DiPaolo Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 369,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,169,000 after acquiring an additional 18,688 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 83.2% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,463,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,891,695,000 after purchasing an additional 3,843,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 60,679 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,524,000 after purchasing an additional 1,444 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on Ferguson from $256.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $290.00 to $270.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $285.00 to $288.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $289.50.

Latest Ferguson News

These are some of the FERG news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts offered supportive outlooks: UBS raised its price target, while Barclays and Robert W. Baird indicated further potential for the shares. UBS price target increase Barclays outlook Baird outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson recently reported quarterly earnings of $3.43 per share, above the $3.28 consensus estimate, prompting a report that the stock gapped up after the results. Ferguson shares gap up on earnings beat
• Negative Sentiment: Three insiders reported selling a combined 4,312 shares for roughly $1.12 million. The sales reduced each individual’s holdings; one was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Multiple insider sales can create a near-term cautionary signal, though they do not necessarily reflect views on the company’s prospects. Winckler SEC filing Paisley SEC filing Graham SEC filing

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc is a distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), waterworks, and fire protection products. It supplies contractors and other professional customers with products, services, and expertise for residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. The company serves customers primarily in the United States and Canada through branches, distribution centers, and digital channels. Its offerings include pipes, valves and fittings, plumbing fixtures, HVAC equipment, water and wastewater products, and fire protection systems.