Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider Richard Winckler Sells 919 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) CAO Richard Winckler sold 919 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.32, for a total value of $238,315.08. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,162 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $560,649.84. The trade was a 29.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG traded down $4.74 on Thursday, reaching $259.76. The company had a trading volume of 336,526 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,671,492. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $227.64 and a 200 day simple moving average of $237.30. The company has a market cap of $50.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.11. 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 plc has a 52-week low of $212.13 and a 52-week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $9.03 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a net margin of 6.73% and a return on equity of 37.69%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.50 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. DiPaolo Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 5.3% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 369,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $82,169,000 after buying an additional 18,688 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Ferguson by 83.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,463,860 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,891,695,000 after buying an additional 3,843,865 shares during the period. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 60,679 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,524,000 after buying an additional 1,444 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 103.5% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are a few of the latest headlines about FERG:

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird forecast strong price appreciation for Ferguson shares, signaling confidence in potential upside. Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Ferguson Stock
• 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday. Melius Research began coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ferguson from $295.00 to $292.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Ferguson from $278.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.