W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Bought by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 44.8%, acquiring an additional 707 shares, bringing its total to 2,286 shares valued at approximately $2.26 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported earnings per share (EPS) of $9.97 for the most recent quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of $10.07, while achieving revenue of $4.55 billion—above analyst expectations.
• The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%, with stockholders of record set to receive this payment on September 1st.

AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 44.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,286 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 707 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Allstate Corp raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 31.4% in the 1st quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 1,731 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,710,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 13.9% in the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,404 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,363,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 599 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $592,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 16.7% during the 1st quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 175 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norinchukin Bank The increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 16.9% during the 1st quarter. Norinchukin Bank The now owns 2,563 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,532,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on GWW shares. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Loop Capital cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded up $26.5310 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,020.6010. 333,372 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 353,355. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market cap of $48.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.18. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $1,017.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,020.22. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $4.55 billion for 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%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is 22.94%.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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.