W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) have earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the nine brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,009.4286.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $963.00 to $975.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $975.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,006.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger 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 value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GWW. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC increased 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Accredited Investors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.7%

GWW opened at $960.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,201.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $952.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,001.78.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last posted its earnings results 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 return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The company had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $9.87 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 39.000-39.750 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 10th. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.35%.

About W.W. Grainger

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.