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NEW YORK - Ferguson plc (NYSE: FERG) shares fell 6.3% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the plumbing and heating products distributor reported second quarter earnings and revenue that missed analyst expectations.
The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.52 for the quarter ended January 31, well below the $1.99 consensus estimate. Revenue came in at $6.9 billion, also missing expectations of $7.09 billion.
Ferguson said sales volume grew 5% in the quarter, but this was partially offset by continued deflation of approximately 2%. The company cited "subdued markets and persistent commodity price deflation" for driving lower than expected adjusted operating margin in its seasonally lightest quarter.
"Our associates continued to execute well for our customers in the second quarter, generating continued market outperformance with a sequential step up in volume growth rates," said CEO Kevin Murphy. "We are navigating a unique time with continued subdued markets and persistent commodity price deflation that drove lower than expected adjusted operating margin in our seasonally lightest quarter."
Given the challenging backdrop, Ferguson reaffirmed its full year revenue guidance of low single digit growth, but lowered its expected full year adjusted operating margin range to 8.3% to 8.8% from the previous 9.0% to 9.5%.
The company also reduced its capital expenditure forecast for fiscal 2025 to a range of $325 million to $375 million, down from $400 million to $450 million previously.
Ferguson declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, representing a 5% increase over the prior year. The company also expanded its share repurchase program by an additional $1 billion.
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