Ferguson Plc. (FERG) experienced a significant after-hours plunge of 8.17% on Tuesday, reflecting negative investor sentiment following recent financial disclosures and challenging market conditions.

The downturn appears to be driven by several key factors. The company's latest earnings report revealed an earnings per share miss, with Ferguson reporting $1.99 EPS compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24. Additionally, the company is facing continued weakness in the U.S. residential market, with declining revenue attributed to lower housing starts and suppressed demand for home repair, maintenance, and improvement activities.

Further contributing to the negative sentiment are management's guidance projecting a slowdown in total growth to approximately 3%, significant insider selling by key executives, and concerns about the company's high debt level. Valuation assessments suggesting the stock might be overvalued have also influenced investor decisions during the after-hours session.