Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) SVP Garland Williams Sells 1,118 Shares

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) SVP Garland Williams sold 1,118 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.22, for a total transaction of $224,963.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $378,696.04. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ FERG traded up $2.74 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $202.83. The stock had a trading volume of 1,587,097 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,266,257. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.80. The company has a market cap of $40.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.69, a PEG ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.20. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $147.62 and a fifty-two week high of $225.63. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $200.33 and its 200-day moving average price is $205.30.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.01 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 36.53% and a net margin of 5.85%. Ferguson’s revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.77 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.56%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. Ferguson’s payout ratio is currently 37.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on FERG shares. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Ferguson from $238.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group lifted their target price on Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Ferguson from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $232.29.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Richardson Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ferguson in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at $27,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. MCF Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Ferguson during the 1st quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Ferguson by 2,462.5% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson plc distributes plumbing and heating products in the United States and Canada. It offers plumbing and heating solutions to customers in the residential, commercial, civil/infrastructure, and industrial end markets. The company also provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, fabrication, and others, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products under the Ferguson brand name.