Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. Increases Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) by 4.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,422 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $20,204,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 46.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 29.9% in the 1st quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 374 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $369,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,373 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,357,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 18,847 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $18,618,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 66,286 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,089,000 after acquiring an additional 1,644 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $945.81 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,221.32. The company’s fifty day moving average is $955.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,005.91.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The industrial products company reported $10.21 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.87 earnings per share. The firm’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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Loop Capital dropped their price target on 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. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $1,009.43.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 6.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.