1,106 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Acquired by Associated Banc Corp

Key Points

• Associated Banc Corp opened a position in W.W. Grainger, buying 1,106 shares valued at approximately $1.378 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.7% of the stock.
• Grainger beat quarterly estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $12.54 versus $11.68 expected and revenue of $5.18 billion versus $5.08 billion expected; revenue rose 11.3% year over year.
• The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $47–$48 and declared a quarterly dividend of $2.49 per share, equivalent to a 0.7% annualized yield.

Associated Banc Corp bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,106 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,378,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Groesbeck Investment Management Corp NJ raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Groesbeck Investment Management Corp NJ now owns 208 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 0.4% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 2,358 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,208,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.7% during the second quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 202 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. Montecito Bank & Trust raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 1,553 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,935,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Choreo LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,396 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,739,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted diluted EPS was $12.54, above the roughly $11.68 consensus and up 22.8% year over year. Revenue reached $5.2 billion, topping estimates of about $5.08 billion and rising 11.3% year over year; daily organic constant-currency sales grew 14.9%. Grainger reports third-quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Grainger raised its full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS outlook to $47–$48, a favorable signal about management’s expectations for continued performance. W.W. Grainger posts higher earnings in Q3, lifts FY26 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted operating margin expanded 90 basis points to 16.1%. The company also generated $661 million in operating cash flow and returned $396 million to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. Grainger reports third-quarter 2026 results
• Neutral Sentiment: The strong results and outlook have helped lift expectations, but the rally may leave less room for disappointment. One analysis highlights valuation as a higher hurdle for future gains. Grainger earnings rally raises the valuation hurdle

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 6.5%

Shares of NYSE GWW opened at $1,489.54 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $906.52 and a 52-week high of $1,521.41. The stock has a market cap of $70.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.81. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,307.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,241.15.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $11.68 by $0.86. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 48.73% and a net margin of 9.92%. The company had revenue of $5.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $10.21 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 46.31 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 9th will be issued a $2.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 9th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 25.40%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,365.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,185.00 to $1,172.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,266.08.

About W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc is a distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies for businesses, government agencies and other organizations. Its product offerings include safety equipment, tools, fasteners, electrical and plumbing supplies, material-handling equipment, cleaning and janitorial products, HVAC supplies, and facility-maintenance products.

The company also provides services designed to help customers manage procurement and workplace operations, including product selection support, inventory-management programs, digital purchasing tools, and technical assistance.

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