Liberty One Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW – Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 4,969 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,420,000.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,019,452 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,037,728,000 after acquiring an additional 23,399 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,217,834 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,230,214,000 after purchasing an additional 10,533 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 1,462.1% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,071,854 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,081,554,000 after purchasing an additional 1,003,237 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 61.1% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,027,286 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,036,584,000 after purchasing an additional 389,589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 659,158 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $628,151,000 after purchasing an additional 3,114 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity
In related news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total value of $385,518.97. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 399 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $491,444.31. This trade represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,554 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,913,067.24. This trade represents a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,624 shares of company stock worth $3,232,291. 6.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.8%
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger’s revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Equities analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a dividend of $2.49 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is 26.79%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,337.00 to $1,460.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Barclays cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $1,250.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,230.11.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on GWW
W.W. Grainger Profile
W.W. Grainger, Inc (NYSE: GWW) is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.
Grainger’s product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.
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