Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock: Insider Jake Schlicher Sells 217 Shares

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Jake Schlicher sold 217 shares of the company’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 transaction, the insider owned 9,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,025,383.40. This represents a 2.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Jake Schlicher also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 15th, Jake Schlicher sold 314 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total transaction of $70,493.00.
• On Monday, October 12th, Jake Schlicher sold 3,138 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total transaction of $686,406.12.
• On Friday, August 28th, Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE FERG opened at $231.42 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $228.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $234.52. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $212.13 and a 52 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 stock has a market cap of $44.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.14.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Melius Research began coverage on Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. They set a “hold” rating and a $252.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Ferguson from $252.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $295.00 price target on Ferguson in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Ferguson from $290.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.

Institutional Trading of Ferguson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Compass Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth $42,000. Vega Investment Solutions grew its holdings in Ferguson by 50.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 93.5% in the 2nd quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. now owns 296 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.

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.