Ferguson plc $FERG Stock: Kestra Advisory Services LLC Raises Position

Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Ferguson plc (NYSE:FERG) by 21.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,366 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,303 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Ferguson were worth $7,873,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of FERG. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Ferguson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ferguson during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Eastern Bank bought a new position in shares of Ferguson during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Vega Investment Solutions boosted its stake in shares of Ferguson by 50.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vega Investment Solutions now owns 277 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. 81.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Ferguson in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $325.00 to $315.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Ferguson from $295.00 to $292.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Ferguson from $278.00 to $284.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Ferguson from $261.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $289.50.

Insider Activity at Ferguson

In related news, COO William Thees, Jr. sold 353 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $79,248.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 31,745 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,126,752.50. The trade was a 1.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Kevin Murphy sold 1,776 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.50, for a total value of $398,712.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 168,440 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,814,780. This represents a 1.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 38,808 shares of company stock worth $8,571,587 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the company’s stock.

Ferguson Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Ferguson stock opened at $259.36 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $50.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.74. The company has a fifty day moving average of $226.72 and a 200 day moving average of $237.25. Ferguson plc has a fifty-two week low of $212.13 and a fifty-two week high of $271.64.

Ferguson (NYSE:FERG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $3.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $9.03 billion during the quarter. Ferguson had a return on equity of 37.69% and a net margin of 6.73%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 8th. Investors of record on Friday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.83%.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferguson

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferguson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ferguson reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.43 per share, ahead of the $3.28 consensus, on $9.03 billion in revenue. Sales grew across both non-residential and residential markets, and management raised its 2026 guidance—signals that could support investor confidence in growth. Ferguson third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their price targets: Barclays to $314 with an overweight rating, Baird to $300 and Oppenheimer to $296, both with outperform ratings. UBS lifted its target to $270 but maintained a neutral rating. The target increases suggest improved expectations, although UBS’s stance is more cautious. Barclays recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: An analysis noted that Ferguson maintained operating margins despite a flat construction backdrop and supplier-cost pressure, reflecting cost discipline and pricing power. It also cautioned that the stock’s valuation is elevated, which could limit further upside. Ferguson analysis

Ferguson Profile

Ferguson plc is a distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), waterworks, and fire protection products. It supplies contractors and other professional customers with products, services, and expertise for residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. The company serves customers primarily in the United States and Canada through branches, distribution centers, and digital channels. Its offerings include pipes, valves and fittings, plumbing fixtures, HVAC equipment, water and wastewater products, and fire protection systems.