William Blair Issues Negative Forecast for Ferguson Earnings

Key Points

• William Blair has decreased its Q3 2026 earnings per share estimate for Ferguson to $2.59, down from $2.60, while the consensus for the full-year earnings stands at $9.40 per share.
• Multiple investment firms have raised their price targets on Ferguson, with analysts from JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Barclays giving the stock an "overweight" rating, as ten analysts have rated it a Buy.
• Ferguson's shares opened at $223.99 and have a current market cap of $44.17 billion, with significant investor interest as hedge funds own approximately 82% of the company's stock.

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG - Free Report) - Investment analysts at William Blair reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Ferguson in a research note issued on Tuesday, September 9th. William Blair analyst R. Merkel now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $2.59 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.60. The consensus estimate for Ferguson's current full-year earnings is $9.40 per share.

Several other research analysts have also commented on FERG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Ferguson from $173.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. Barclays upped their target price on Ferguson from $190.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Wednesday. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $221.00.

Ferguson Price Performance

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $223.99 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $226.81 and a 200 day moving average of $195.70. Ferguson has a 52 week low of $146.00 and a 52 week high of $243.40. The company has a market cap of $44.17 billion, a PE ratio of 26.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 145.3% during the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 130 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 247.4% in the first quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 198 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 166.7% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its position 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. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management raised 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 acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.98% of the company's stock.

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.

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