Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) CMO Victoria Morrissey Sells 1,468 Shares

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) CMO Victoria Morrissey sold 1,468 shares of Ferguson stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.20, for a total value of $295,361.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,047,246. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FERG opened at $204.59 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $200.77 and a 200 day moving average of $205.19. The company has a market cap of $41.31 billion, a PE 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. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

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

Ferguson Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on FERG shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Ferguson from $238.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” 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 for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Citigroup raised their target price on Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $232.29.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FERG. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. MCF Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the first quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Ferguson by 2,462.5% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.