Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider James Paisley Sells 2,300 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider James Paisley sold 2,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.59, for a total value of $594,757.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 5,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,360,959.17. The trade was a 30.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE:FERG traded down $4.74 on Thursday, hitting $259.76. The stock had a trading volume of 336,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,671,492. Ferguson plc has a 1-year low of $212.13 and a 1-year high of $271.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The stock has a market cap of $50.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.57, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $227.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $237.30.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $3.43 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $9.03 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.50 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 41.83%.

Recent Ferguson Headlines

Here are a few of the latest headlines about FERG:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays said Ferguson’s stock is expected to rise, adding to the recent favorable analyst outlook. Ferguson Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s shares previously gapped up after the company reported quarterly EPS of $3.43, above the $3.28 analyst consensus. Ferguson Shares Gap Up on Earnings Beat
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $270 from $256 but kept a neutral rating, indicating a modestly higher valuation view without turning bullish. Ferguson Stock Gets Price Target Increase from UBS Group

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP purchased a new position in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Ferguson by 103.5% in the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on FERG. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $288.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $286.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on Ferguson from $278.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.50.

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.