Insider Selling: Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) VP Sells $527,319.04 in Stock

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $224,271.36. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Ferguson Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of FERG stock opened at $204.59 on Friday. Ferguson plc has a twelve month low of $147.62 and a twelve month high of $225.63. The stock has a market cap of $41.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.20. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $200.77 and a 200 day 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.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.77 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ferguson plc will post 9.86 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 27th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 (DPR) is currently 34.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FERG. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in Ferguson by 80.1% in the 1st quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 32,811 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,166,000 after purchasing an additional 14,590 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ferguson by 14.5% in the first quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 75,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,493,000 after acquiring an additional 9,562 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ferguson during the second quarter worth approximately $2,834,000. Duality Advisers LP acquired a new position in Ferguson in the 1st quarter valued at $5,016,000. Finally, Capstone Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Ferguson by 132.6% in the 1st quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,375 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,829,000 after purchasing an additional 4,775 shares in the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is 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.