Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Has $756,000 Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 14.5% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 727 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $756,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 316.7% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 25 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 52.6% during the 2nd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.4%

GWW opened at $957.17 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $987.72 and its 200-day moving average is $1,017.15. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $893.99 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of $45.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.29, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.76 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th were paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.94%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 4th. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Saturday, September 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.