James Paisley Sells 3,000 Shares of Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Stock

Key Points

• Insider James Paisley sold 3,000 shares of Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) stock at an average price of $236.97, marking a 57.57% decrease in his holdings.
• Ferguson reported $3.48 EPS for the latest quarter, exceeding estimates and achieving a revenue of $8.50 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly $0.83 dividend, with an annualized payout of $3.32 and a dividend yield of 1.4%.

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG - Get Free Report) insider James Paisley sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.97, for a total value of $710,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,211 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $523,940.67. This represents a 57.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Ferguson Stock Performance

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

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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 issued a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 26th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ferguson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.55%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on FERG. UBS Group raised their price target on Ferguson from $204.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Barclays raised their price target on Ferguson from $247.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Ferguson from $260.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Ferguson in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Ferguson from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. One investment 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $237.14.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FERG. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 145.3% in the 2nd 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. Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in Ferguson by 247.4% in the 1st quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in Ferguson by 56.5% in the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 205 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. 81.98% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ferguson

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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