Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Buys Shares of 30,442 W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. acquired 30,442 shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc., valued at approximately $30.07 million, representing around 0.06% ownership in the company.
• W.W. Grainger reported its quarterly earnings with an EPS of $9.97, slightly below analyst expectations of $10.07, despite a year-over-year revenue increase of 5.6%.
• Analysts have recently lowered their target prices for W.W. Grainger, with ratings ranging from Strong Buy to Sell, reflecting mixed sentiment about the company in the market.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 30,442 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $30,072,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned 0.06% of W.W. Grainger at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth approximately $65,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GWW traded down $34.44 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $993.59. The company's stock had a trading volume of 416,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 285,821. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,012.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,019.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.21, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 22.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Loop Capital cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,069.13.

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.