William Blair Has Negative Outlook for Ferguson Q3 Earnings

Ferguson plc (NASDAQ:FERG) – Analysts at William Blair cut their Q3 2025 earnings estimates for shares of Ferguson in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 11th. William Blair analyst R. Merkel now expects that the company will earn $2.13 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.32. The consensus estimate for Ferguson’s current full-year earnings is $9.40 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for Ferguson’s Q4 2025 earnings at $2.82 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $8.93 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $2.67 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $1.75 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.40 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.15 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $11.18 EPS.

Ferguson (NASDAQ:FERG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.58 by ($0.06). Ferguson had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 34.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.76 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.74 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Ferguson from $189.00 to $168.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Zelman & Associates downgraded shares of Ferguson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Ferguson in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $204.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Ferguson from $211.00 to $189.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Ferguson from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the company from $185.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Ferguson presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $201.64.

Ferguson Stock Performance

Shares of FERG stock opened at $155.94 on Thursday. Ferguson has a one year low of $154.09 and a one year high of $225.63. The company’s 50-day moving average is $176.55 and its 200 day moving average is $190.86. The company has a market capitalization of $31.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Ferguson Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 21st. Ferguson’s payout ratio is 39.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ferguson

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FERG. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Ferguson by 1,350.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 145 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ferguson by 906.7% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ferguson in the third quarter valued at $39,000. LGT Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Ferguson by 106.3% during the fourth quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 198 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Ferguson during the third quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors own 81.98% of the company’s stock.

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.