Zacks Research Forecasts Higher Earnings for W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) – Zacks Research raised their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $10.86 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $10.63. The consensus estimate for W.W. Grainger’s current full-year earnings is $45.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for W.W. Grainger’s Q3 2026 earnings at $11.63 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $10.69 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $44.83 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $11.90 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $12.43 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $12.84 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $12.21 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $49.39 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also commented on GWW. Barclays boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,047.00 to $1,171.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $1,199.13.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $1,247.95 on Monday. W.W. Grainger has a 1-year low of $906.52 and a 1-year high of $1,286.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.92 billion, a PE ratio of 33.57, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.04. The business’s 50 day moving average is $1,148.54 and its 200-day moving average is $1,080.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.86 EPS. W.W. Grainger’s revenue for the quarter 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.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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. The trade was a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total value of $1,795,446.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,750,471.28. This represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,451 shares of company stock worth $7,380,743 in the last three months. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company’s stock.

Key W.W. Grainger News

Here are the key news stories impacting W.W. Grainger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $44.83 from $42.84, suggesting stronger near-term earnings momentum. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: The analyst also boosted FY2027 EPS to $49.39 from $48.13, reinforcing expectations for continued profit growth over the next year. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly estimates were increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q2 2026, and Q4 2026, which may support sentiment around the company’s earnings trajectory. W.W. Grainger stock page

W.W. Grainger Company 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.