Cantillon Capital Management LLC Sells 57,850 Shares of Ferguson plc $FERG

Key Points

• Cantillon Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Ferguson plc by 2.8%, selling 57,850 shares, though it still owns approximately 1.01% of the company valued at $433.66 million.
• Ferguson recently reported a quarterly EPS of $3.48, exceeding analysts' expectations, and has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, with a yield of 1.4%.
• Insider selling activity has increased, with over 29,264 shares sold in the last quarter, reflecting a 7.28% and 57.57% decrease in positions held by certain insiders.

Cantillon Capital Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Free Report) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,991,561 shares of the company's stock after selling 57,850 shares during the quarter. Ferguson comprises approximately 2.5% of Cantillon Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Cantillon Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.01% of Ferguson worth $433,662,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 56.5% during the first quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management increased its holdings in Ferguson by 51.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 153 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its holdings in Ferguson by 103.6% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 226 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Ian T. Graham sold 606 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.33, for a total transaction of $145,033.98. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,714 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,846,191.62. The trade was a 7.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider James A. Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total value of $710,910.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $523,940.67. This represents a 57.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,264 shares of company stock worth $6,853,349. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Ferguson Stock Up 1.1%

FERG stock opened at $244.77 on Wednesday. The company's 50-day moving average is $231.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $146.00 and a twelve month high of $246.65. The stock has a market cap of $47.97 billion, a PE ratio of 26.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

FERG has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group raised their target price on Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Vertical Research initiated coverage on Ferguson in a research report on Monday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $291.99 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Ferguson from $231.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Robert W. Baird raised 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. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $235.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $240.80.

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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