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FERG vs. LECO: Ferguson Enterprises vs. Lincoln Electric Stock Comparison

How do Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but FERG is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while LECO is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Profile ItemFERGLECO
NameFerguson Enterprises Inc.Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorIndustrialsIndustrials
GICS Industry GroupCapital GoodsCapital Goods
GICS IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsMachinery
GICS Sub-IndustryTrading Companies & DistributorsIndustrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization45.21 billion USD14.91 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateJanuary 5, 2010April 7, 1994
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FERG
LECO
GSPC
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Total Return (1Y)6.92%27.30%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)20.73%17.31%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)13.21%16.33%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FERG
LECO
GSPC
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)32.85%31.13%
Beta (5Y)1.081.17
Max Drawdown (5Y)-43.31%-34.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.46M409.99K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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FERG and LECO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.080.74
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.121.11

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Lincoln Electric (LECO) earns 38.75% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) has no ROE this period.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

--

Max
40.55%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
FERG
--

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

38.75%

Max
40.55%
LECO
38.75%
Q3
19.29%
Median
12.12%
Q1
4.08%
Min
-17.12%
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): FERG does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; LECO is benchmarked against the Capital Goods industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 12.40% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 6.32%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

6.32%

Max
27.47%
Q3
12.10%
FERG
6.32%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

12.40%

Max
27.47%
LECO
12.40%
Q3
12.10%
Median
6.30%
Q1
1.40%
Min
-12.89%
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 10.16% and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 18.29% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

10.16%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
Median
11.12%
FERG
10.16%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

18.29%

Max
36.60%
Q3
18.33%
LECO
18.29%
Median
11.12%
Q1
5.14%
Min
-12.63%
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
ROE (TTM)--38.75%
ROA (TTM)--13.32%
Net Margin (TTM)6.32%12.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)10.16%18.29%
Gross Margin (TTM)30.63%35.54%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Only one side can be read here: Lincoln Electric (LECO) reports revenue growth of 5.60%, ranked against its industry; Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) has no revenue growth figure this period.

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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 19.11% and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 14.36% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Revenue Growth (YoY)--5.60%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)--4.02%
EPS Growth (YoY)19.11%14.36%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--5.05%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.73 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.91 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.73

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
FERG
1.73
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

1.91

Max
5.22
Q3
2.95
Median
2.08
LECO
1.91
Q1
1.43
Min
0.36
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.11 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 0.78 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.11

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
FERG
1.11
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

0.78

Max
2.33
Q3
1.12
LECO
0.78
Median
0.60
Q1
0.29
Min
0.00
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Current Ratio (MRQ)1.731.91
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.110.78
Net Debt / EBITDA2.101.00

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.80% and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.16% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.80%

Max
2.66%
FERG
1.80%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

1.16%

Max
2.66%
LECO
1.16%
Q3
1.14%
Median
0.24%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 33.57% and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 30.30% pay out an above-typical share of earnings for their industries, leaving thinner cover if profits dip.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

33.57%

Max
67.39%
FERG
33.57%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

30.30%

Max
67.39%
LECO
30.30%
Q3
28.02%
Median
6.86%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.80%1.16%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)33.57%30.30%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 23.00 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 26.40 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

23.00

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
Median
25.41
FERG
23.00
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

26.40

Max
59.38
Q3
35.92
LECO
26.40
Median
25.41
Q1
19.47
Min
3.03
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 1.44 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 3.21 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

1.44

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
Median
2.15
FERG
1.44
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

3.21

Max
7.54
Q3
3.76
LECO
3.21
Median
2.15
Q1
1.03
Min
0.03
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) at 7.29 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 9.59 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

FERG

Capital Goods industry group

7.29

Max
9.66
FERG
7.29
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

9.59

Max
9.66
LECO
9.59
Q3
5.00
Median
3.12
Q1
1.81
Min
-1.08
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Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
MetricFERGLECO
P/E Ratio (TTM)23.0026.40
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.443.21
P/B Ratio (MRQ)7.299.59
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)--2.68%