Ferguson plc $FERG Stock Sold by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. decreased its stake in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 50.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 759,187 shares of the company’s stock after selling 762,764 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $169,010,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,789,368,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 6,107,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,424,075,000 after purchasing an additional 125,317 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Ferguson by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,619,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,100,474,000 after purchasing an additional 48,544 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,868,181 shares of the company’s stock valued at $668,809,000 after purchasing an additional 240,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,055,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,796,000 after purchasing an additional 16,866 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE FERG traded up $2.66 on Friday, hitting $231.42. 2,143,287 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,429,344. The company has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 12 month low of $212.13 and a 12 month high of $271.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $228.04 and a 200-day moving average of $234.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

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.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO William Thees, Jr. sold 353 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total transaction of $79,248.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 31,745 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,126,752.50. This represents a 1.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Jake Schlicher sold 314 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $70,493.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,621 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,935,414.50. The trade was a 3.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 37,711 shares of company stock worth $8,319,277 over the last 90 days. 0.15% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FERG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $261.00 price objective on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned 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 a consensus price target of $285.78.

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.