Michael Jacobs Sells 2,624 Shares of Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) Stock

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) VP Michael Jacobs sold 2,624 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.96, for a total transaction of $527,319.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,116 shares in the company, valued at $224,271.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Ferguson Price Performance

NASDAQ:FERG opened at $205.09 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $200.65 and a 200-day moving average of $205.28. The company has a market capitalization of $41.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.04, a PEG ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 1.20. Ferguson plc has a 52 week low of $147.62 and a 52 week high of $225.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.80.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 17th. The company reported $2.98 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $8.01 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.77 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ferguson plc will post 9.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 27th. Ferguson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FERG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Ferguson from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $203.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Robert W. Baird increased 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $219.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.29.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ferguson

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

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.