W.W. Grainger’s (GWW) Buy (B) Rating Reiterated at Weiss Ratings

Weiss Ratings restated their buy (b) rating on shares of W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on GWW. Loop Capital decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased 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 research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $963.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1,073.88.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 2.3%

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $946.61 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger has a 52 week low of $893.99 and a 52 week high of $1,227.66. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $981.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,016.15. The firm has a market cap of $45.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.17.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were given a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 6.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 196.0% during the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 24 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 316.7% during the second quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 25 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.