BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments Has $10.03 Million Position in Graco Inc. $GGG

BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments lowered its position in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG) by 15.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 120,600 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 22,500 shares during the quarter. BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments’ holdings in Graco were worth $10,026,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Graco in the fourth quarter valued at about $161,949,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its position in shares of Graco by 236.4% in the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 1,279,553 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $108,711,000 after purchasing an additional 899,174 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Graco by 20,706.4% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 556,362 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $45,605,000 after purchasing an additional 553,688 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Graco by 116.8% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 735,146 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $63,201,000 after purchasing an additional 396,125 shares during the period. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group raised its position in shares of Graco by 877.5% in the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 334,947 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,300,000 after purchasing an additional 300,682 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Graco

In related news, Director Andrea Helen Simon purchased 1,240 shares of Graco stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $80.53 per share, for a total transaction of $99,857.20. Following the purchase, the director owned 1,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,857.20. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.18% of the company’s stock.

Graco Stock Down 0.3%

GGG stock opened at $74.13 on Tuesday. Graco Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.48 and a 12 month high of $95.69. The firm has a market cap of $12.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.93. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $80.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $84.47.

Graco (NYSE:GGG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.09). Graco had a net margin of 22.96% and a return on equity of 18.66%. The firm had revenue of $540.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $561.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.70 earnings per share. Graco’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Graco from $96.00 to $92.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 24th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Graco in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $95.00 price target on shares of Graco in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Graco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $94.25.

About Graco

Graco Inc is a leading manufacturer of fluid handling systems and components, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1926, the company has built a reputation for innovation in spray finishing, lubrication, and fluid management technologies. Graco’s solutions are designed to address the needs of paint and coatings applicators, general industry, and process fluids in a variety of end markets.

The company’s product portfolio includes airless and air-assisted spray equipment, pumps for oil and gas applications, industrial lubrication systems, and automated dispensing equipment.