Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) Insider Jake Schlicher Sells 217 Shares of Company Stock

Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) insider Jake Schlicher sold 217 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.63, for a total transaction of $47,876.71. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,180 shares in the company, valued at $2,025,383.40. This represents a 2.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Jake Schlicher also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, October 15th, Jake Schlicher sold 314 shares of Ferguson stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total transaction of $70,493.00.
• On Monday, October 12th, Jake Schlicher sold 3,138 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.74, for a total transaction of $686,406.12.
• On Friday, August 28th, Jake Schlicher sold 5,177 shares of Ferguson stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.92, for a total transaction of $1,195,472.84.

Ferguson Trading Up 1.3%

NYSE FERG traded up $2.98 on Friday, hitting $231.74. 348,936 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,679,277. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $228.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $234.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.93. Ferguson plc has a 52-week low of $212.13 and a 52-week high of $271.64. The company has a market capitalization of $44.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.14.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.23 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $8.75 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 6.82%. Research analysts predict that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 EPS for the current year.

Ferguson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is presently 41.83%.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson’s prior quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.39 versus the $3.23 consensus estimate. Analysts maintain a generally bullish outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $285.78. Ferguson analyst and earnings information
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives, including COO William Thees Jr., VP Anthony Camposano, Ian Graham, Jake Schlicher and Kevin Murphy, completed additional sales on October 14–15. The sellers retained substantial holdings, suggesting the transactions may reflect routine portfolio diversification rather than a broad loss of confidence in Ferguson’s business. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent filings show significant aggregate insider selling, including Kevin Murphy’s sale of 11,259 shares for approximately $2.44 million on October 12 and CFO William Brundage’s sale of 5,986 shares worth about $1.31 million. Additional sales by other executives bring the recent reported total to roughly $6 million, potentially weighing on sentiment. SEC insider sale filing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on FERG shares. Zelman & Associates raised Ferguson from a “hold” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Barclays upped their target price on Ferguson from $297.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Ferguson from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $315.00 to $265.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Ferguson in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $252.00 price target for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $261.00 price target on shares of Ferguson in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $285.78.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ferguson by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 83,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,582,000 after buying an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Ferguson by 38.9% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 5,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,264,000 after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,079,000. Formuepleje A S bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,960,000. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new stake in Ferguson in the third quarter valued at approximately $864,000. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ferguson

Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) is a North American distributor of plumbing and heating products, supplying professional customers across the residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure markets. The company serves contractors, builders, remodelers, municipalities, industrial businesses and other trade professionals through branch locations, distribution centers and digital ordering platforms.

Its product offerings include plumbing supplies and fixtures, heating and cooling equipment, water and wastewater products, fire protection systems, waterworks materials, industrial piping and related maintenance, repair and operating supplies.