Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) CMO Sells $295,361.60 in Stock

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) CMO Victoria Morrissey sold 1,468 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.20, for a total transaction of $295,361.60. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 5,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,047,246. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ferguson Price Performance

FERG opened at $204.59 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $200.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $205.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market cap of $41.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.20. Ferguson plc has a 12-month low of $147.62 and a 12-month high of $225.63.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.12. Ferguson had a net margin of 5.85% and a return on equity of 36.53%. The firm had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.77 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 9.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.54%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.54%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. OneAscent Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 1.9% in the first quarter. OneAscent Financial Services LLC now owns 2,584 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Ferguson by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its stake in Ferguson by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $686,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Ferguson by 3.0% in the second quarter. Transatlantique Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,035 shares of the company’s stock worth $394,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 3.8% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on FERG shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Ferguson from $238.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Ferguson from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Ferguson from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Barclays upped their target price on Ferguson from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.29.

About Ferguson

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.