Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Sells $1,195,472.84 in Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 Ferguson shares for approximately $1.20 million, reducing his direct holdings by 35.3% to 9,490 shares.
• Stock and corporate actions: Ferguson shares recently fell 2.4% to $219.09. The company reported quarterly EPS of $3.39, declared a $0.89 quarterly dividend, and authorized a $2 billion share-repurchase program.
• Analyst outlook: Ferguson has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with 12 analysts rating it Strong Buy or Buy and an average price target of $285.93.

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) insider Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,490 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,191,430.80. The trade was a 35.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ferguson Stock Down 2.4%

FERG traded down $5.42 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $219.09. 1,884,121 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,741,421. 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's fifty day moving average price is $236.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.20. The company has a market cap of $42.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.14. Ferguson plc has a one year low of $207.64 and a one year high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.16. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%.The firm had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. As a group, analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Ferguson announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 3.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on FERG. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Ferguson from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $285.93.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in Ferguson during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson in the second quarter worth $32,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its position in Ferguson by 123.4% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 143 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at $34,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ferguson Company Profile

Ferguson NYSE: FERG is a multinational distributor specializing in plumbing and heating products and related building supplies, serving professional contractors, builders and industrial customers. The company supplies a broad range of products used in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects, including pipes and fittings, valves and controls, HVAC equipment, waterworks materials, plumbing fixtures, pumps and accessories, as well as complementary electrical and specialty product lines.

Ferguson operates a network of branches and distribution centers that provide inventory, logistics and value-added services to trade customers.

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