Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Sells $2,060,344.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Kevin Michael Murphy, an insider at Ferguson plc, sold 8,800 shares for approximately $2,060,344, reducing his ownership stake by 5.22%.
• The company reported a quarterly EPS of $3.48, surpassing analyst expectations of $3.00, with revenues reaching $8.50 billion.
• Ferguson recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, which translates to an annualized yield of 1.4% with a payout ratio of 35.55%.

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) insider Kevin Michael Murphy sold 8,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.13, for a total value of $2,060,344.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 159,931 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,444,645.03. This represents a 5.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Ferguson Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of Ferguson stock traded down $3.34 on Wednesday, hitting $237.08. The stock had a trading volume of 557,061 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,754,202. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $229.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market cap of $46.50 billion, a PE ratio of 25.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.17. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $146.00 and a 52-week high of $243.40.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 16th. The company reported $3.48 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.44 billion. Ferguson had a return on equity of 35.21% and a net margin of 6.03%.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 26th. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% during the second quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Ferguson by 230.8% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 172 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Maseco LLP bought a new position in Ferguson in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 247.4% in the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.98% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on FERG. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Barclays lifted their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $273.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Zacks Research upgraded Ferguson to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $237.14.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson Enterprises Inc distributes plumbing and heating products in North America. The company provides expertise, solutions, and products, including infrastructure, plumbing, appliances, fire, and fabrication, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) to residential and non-residential customers.

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