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

Key Points

• DA Davidson raised its W.W. Grainger price target to $1,260 from $1,250 while maintaining a “neutral” rating, implying approximately 1.7% downside from the stock’s reported $1,281.79 price.
• Grainger exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $12.01 EPS versus the $11.30 consensus and $5.02 billion in revenue, up 10.3% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $45.50–$47.25.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly cautious, with two Buy, seven Hold and one Sell rating and an average price target of $1,271.75. Insiders sold $3.23 million of stock during the last quarter, while institutional investors own 80.7% of shares.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by investment analysts at DA Davidson from $1,250.00 to $1,260.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "neutral" rating on the industrial products company's stock. DA Davidson's target price would suggest a potential downside of 1.70% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Stephens cut W.W. Grainger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $1,355.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings raised W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,460.00 to $1,428.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,271.75.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $3.29 during trading on Thursday, reaching $1,281.79. 301,388 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 288,488. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.51 billion, a PE ratio of 32.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 2.81 and a quick ratio of 1.60. W.W. Grainger has a 12-month low of $906.52 and a 12-month high of $1,419.91. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $1,340.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,210.29.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $11.30 by $0.71. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.96 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 48.73%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.97 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 45.92 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 2,232 shares in the company, valued at $2,750,471.28. This trade represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,913,067.24. This represents a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291 in the last quarter. Insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On W.W. Grainger

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 483 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $487,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 788 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $795,000 after buying an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc now owns 676 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $682,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 305 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Andina Capital Management LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About W.W. Grainger

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.

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