Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider William Brundage Sells 5,986 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) CFO William Brundage sold 5,986 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total transaction of $1,309,377.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 54,908 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,010,575.92. This represents a 9.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Ferguson stock traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $222.95. 1,358,631 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,685,467. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $212.13 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $43.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.20, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $229.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $234.51.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on FERG. Zelman & Associates upgraded Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. 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 research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on Ferguson from $280.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.07.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Eastern Bank bought a new position in Ferguson during the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions boosted its stake in Ferguson by 50.5% during the second quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. 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 worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Ferguson by 93.5% during the second quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.