Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) COO William Thees, Jr. Sells 217 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) COO William Thees, Jr. sold 217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total value of $47,876.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,141,793.10. The trade was a 0.67% decrease in their position. The transaction 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 Trading Up 1.3%

FERG stock traded up $2.98 during trading on Friday, hitting $231.74. 348,936 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,679,277. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.83 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a 1 year low of $212.13 and a 1 year high of $271.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a 50-day moving average of $228.56 and a 200-day moving average of $234.55.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion for the quarter. Analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.83%.

Key Stories Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s prior quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.39 versus the $3.23 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a generally bullish outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.78. Ferguson analyst and earnings information
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives, including COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano, Ian Graham, Jake Schlicher and Kevin Murphy, completed additional sales on October 14–15. The sellers retained substantial holdings, suggesting the transactions may reflect routine portfolio diversification rather than a broad loss of confidence in Ferguson’s business. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent filings show significant aggregate insider selling, including Kevin Murphy’s sale of 11,259 shares for approximately $2.44 million on October 12 and CFO William Brundage’s sale of 5,986 shares worth about $1.31 million. Additional sales by other executives bring the recent reported total to roughly $6 million, potentially weighing on sentiment. SEC insider sale filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on FERG shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $261.00 target price on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $285.78.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Ferguson by 0.5% during the third quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 83,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,582,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in Ferguson by 38.9% in the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,264,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $4,079,000. Formuepleje A S purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $1,960,000. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the third quarter worth $864,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

About Ferguson

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.