Barclays Issues Positive Forecast for W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) Stock Price

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) had its price objective increased by stock analysts at Barclays from $963.00 to $975.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “underweight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 2.08% from the company’s current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,006.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. Loop Capital decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $1,061.57.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.3%

GWW stock traded up $2.43 on Friday, reaching $955.09. 23,388 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 290,820. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $974.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,014.79. The company has a market cap of $45.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.95 by $0.26. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The company had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.87 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 39.000-39.750 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at $1,758,355.06. This represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 6.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 316.7% in 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. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.