Ferguson plc (FERG) vs Watsco, Inc. (WSO)
Ferguson plc and Watsco, Inc. are both Industrial Distribution companies. Ferguson plc is the larger, with a market value of $42.6B against $13.2B — 3.2× the size. Watsco, Inc. trades at the lower P/E: 27.5× against 50.7×. Ferguson plc grew revenue faster over the last twelve months: 9.38% against −2.98%. Ferguson plc has the higher net margin (7.15% vs 6.54%) and the higher return on invested capital (18.8% vs 13.6%). Both pay a dividend; Watsco, Inc. yields more (2.38% vs 1.54%). Across the 23 metrics below, Watsco, Inc. leads on 14 and Ferguson plc on 9.
Valuation
Profitability
| Metric | FERG | WSO | Industrial Distribution median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 31.10% | 27.51% | 30.34% |
| Operating margin | 9.73% | 9.40% | 8.06% |
| Net margin | 7.15% | 6.54% | 4.95% |
| Free cash flow margin | 3.85% | 9.57% | 4.67% |
| Return on equity | 40.09% | 14.23% | 14.29% |
| Return on assets | 12.69% | 9.71% | 5.30% |
| Return on invested capital | 18.75% | 13.64% | 8.13% |
Growth
Health
Dividend
Size
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