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Ferguson Enterprises Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 narrowed, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose 9.5% on organic growth: Net sales reached $9.0 billion, up 9.5%. Organic growth contributed 7.0% and acquisitions 2.7%, partly offset by a 0.2% divestment effect in Canada. Source
  • Diluted EPS down, adjusted EPS up: Reported diluted EPS was $3.08, down 4.9%, reflecting the timing of tax benefits in the prior-year period. Adjusted diluted EPS was $3.43, up 7.9%, on higher adjusted operating profit. Source
  • Non-residential sales up 15%: Non-residential sales grew 15%, which management attributed to scale, expertise, the multi-customer group approach and value-added solutions in a mixed market. Source
  • Residential sales up 6% despite headwinds: Residential, about half of sales, grew 6% despite pressure from new construction and repair, maintenance and improvement activity. Source
  • Gross margin down 40 basis points: Gross margin was 30.9%, 40 basis points below the prior year. Management said the prior-year rate was temporarily elevated by the timing of supplier price increases. Source
  • Eleven acquisitions year-to-date: Eleven acquisitions completed this year carry about $1.5 billion of aggregate annualized revenue, including three in the quarter and one after quarter-end. Source
  • Leverage rose to 1.7x: Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 1.7x at September 30, 2026, against 1.3x at June 30 and 1.0x a year earlier, after the FloWorks funding. Source

“We continue to invest organically and through acquisitions to expand our value-added solutions and geographic footprint.”

Kevin Murphy, Ferguson CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net sales growth SourceCalendar 2026 (January 1 - December 31, 2026)~7% growthRaised from Mid-single digit growth
Adjusted operating margin SourceCalendar 2026 (January 1 - December 31, 2026)9.6% - 9.8%Narrowed, low end up from 9.5% - 9.8%
Interest expense SourceCalendar 2026 (January 1 - December 31, 2026)~$235 millionRaised from ~$200 million
Capital expenditures SourceCalendar 2026 (January 1 - December 31, 2026)~$425 millionNarrowed, low end up from $375 - $425 million
Adjusted effective tax rate SourceCalendar 2026 (January 1 - December 31, 2026)~26%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 guidance raised for net sales growth, adjusted operating margin, interest expense and capital expenditures. Source
  • New: FloWorks acquisition closed on August 31, 2026, after a definitive agreement was signed in the prior quarter. Source
  • New: Senior unsecured notes were priced and a $900 million term loan entered into, with proceeds used to finance FloWorks. Source
  • New: Share repurchases were temporarily paused in connection with the FloWorks acquisition. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales rose 9.5% on organic growth: Net sales reached $9.0 billion, up 9.5%. Organic growth contributed 7.0% and acquisitions 2.7%, partly offset by a 0.2% divestment effect in Canada. Source
  • Diluted EPS down, adjusted EPS up: Reported diluted EPS was $3.08, down 4.9%, reflecting the timing of tax benefits in the prior-year period. Adjusted diluted EPS was $3.43, up 7.9%, on higher adjusted operating profit. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit up 8.9%: Adjusted operating profit was $962 million, with an adjusted operating margin of 10.7%. Reported operating profit was $885 million, up 4.9%. Source

Segments and regions

  • US sales up 10.2%: US net sales rose 10.2%, with organic growth of 7.4% and a 2.8% contribution from acquisitions. Source
  • US adjusted profit up 8.8%: US adjusted operating profit was $952 million, up 8.8%, or $77 million above last year. Source
  • Canada sales fell on divestments: Canadian net sales fell 4.5%. Organic growth of 0.6% was offset by a 3.2% divestment impact and a 1.9% foreign exchange headwind. Adjusted operating profit was $23 million. Source

“We remain confident in our ability to capitalize on these growth drivers as we provide essential water and air solutions for the complex project needs of the specialized professional.”

Kevin Murphy, Ferguson CEO

Demand and the order book

  • Non-residential sales up 15%: Non-residential sales grew 15%, which management attributed to scale, expertise, the multi-customer group approach and value-added solutions in a mixed market. Source
  • Residential sales up 6% despite headwinds: Residential, about half of sales, grew 6% despite pressure from new construction and repair, maintenance and improvement activity. Source
  • Large project activity held up: Management described large capital project activity as holding up, with growth in open order volumes and bidding activity. Source

Gross margin and operating costs

  • Gross margin down 40 basis points: Gross margin was 30.9%, 40 basis points below the prior year. Management said the prior-year rate was temporarily elevated by the timing of supplier price increases. Source
  • Operating cost leverage continued: Management said it continued to drive operating cost leverage while balancing cost discipline with investment for future growth. Source
  • FloWorks costs excluded from adjusted: Acquisition and integration costs of $25 million for FloWorks were excluded from adjusted operating profit. Source

Acquisitions and strategy

  • Eleven acquisitions year-to-date: Eleven acquisitions completed this year carry about $1.5 billion of aggregate annualized revenue, including three in the quarter and one after quarter-end. Source
  • FloWorks adds valve and flow control: FloWorks strengthens the industrial offering in valves and flow control, with over 60 locations and 25 service centers in the United States and Canada. Source
  • Canyon and Rogers extend footprint: Canyon Systems, acquired after quarter-end, adds water and wastewater process solutions across six Western states. Rogers Supply added twelve locations in Illinois and Indiana. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Leverage rose to 1.7x: Net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 1.7x at September 30, 2026, against 1.3x at June 30 and 1.0x a year earlier, after the FloWorks funding. Source
  • Capex and acquisition spend in quarter: The company deployed $108 million in capex and invested $1.7 billion in acquisitions, including FloWorks, during the quarter. Source
  • Quarterly dividend held at $0.89: Quarterly dividend of $0.89 was declared, payable January 8, 2027 to holders of record as of November 20, 2026. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 November 2026

  • Buybacks to resume with lower leverage: Management expects to resume share repurchases as leverage trends back toward the lower end of the 1-2x target range. Source
  • Full-year results call February 16: Results for the period ending December 31, 2026 are scheduled for February 16, 2027, with a call at 8:30 a.m. ET. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Locations Sourceover 1,800 locations

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management cites residential markets as pressured by new construction softness and repair, maintenance and improvement softness. Source
  • Demand: Management said Canadian markets, particularly residential, have remained challenging. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The company states it aims to operate with investment grade credit metrics and keep leverage within one to two times. Source
  • Not stated: Management expects to keep delivering market outperformance by deploying scale locally and using its long-term growth drivers. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release expected the FloWorks close in the third quarter; the current release reports it closed on August 31, 2026.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.