Alyeska Investment Group L.P. Increases Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Alyeska Investment Group increased its W.W. Grainger position by 46.4% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 30,865 shares valued at approximately $42 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.7% of the company.
• Grainger exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $12.01 versus the $11.30 consensus and revenue of $5.02 billion, up 10.3% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $2.49, representing a 0.8% annualized yield.
• Despite improving earnings expectations and a recent Zacks upgrade to “Buy,” analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $1,286.62. The stock’s valuation—about 33 times earnings—may limit further upside.

Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 46.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,865 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,776 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. owned 0.07% of W.W. Grainger worth $41,989,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,303,024,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,019,452 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,037,728,000 after acquiring an additional 23,399 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,217,834 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,230,214,000 after acquiring an additional 10,533 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 1,462.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,071,854 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,081,554,000 after purchasing an additional 1,003,237 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 61.1% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,027,286 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,036,584,000 after purchasing an additional 389,589 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about W.W. Grainger

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded GWW to a No. 2 (Buy) rank, citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings prospects. Zacks rating upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple future EPS estimates, including FY2027 to $50.40 from $50.21 and FY2028 to $54.37 from $54.17. Estimates were also increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027 and Q2 2028, suggesting modestly improving expectations for profitability. MarketBeat analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Grainger’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with EPS of $12.01 versus the $11.30 consensus and revenue of $5.02 billion versus $4.96 billion. Revenue increased 10.3% year over year, supporting the case for continued earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street commentary is mixed: GWW has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but analysts remain cautious about its future upside. Barchart analyst outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation may be limiting enthusiasm. Grainger trades at roughly 33 times earnings, while its shares are below the 50-day moving average after approaching a 12-month high. Investors may be taking profits or demanding stronger estimate increases before bidding the stock higher. MSN analyst outlook article

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.0%

GWW stock opened at $1,305.72 on Monday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $906.52 and a 12 month high of $1,419.91. The firm's 50-day moving average is $1,342.92 and its 200 day moving average is $1,235.14. The company has a market capitalization of $61.50 billion, a PE ratio of 33.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 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 1.70.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $11.30 by $0.71. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 48.73% and a net margin of 9.92%.The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.96 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $9.97 EPS. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 46.17 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 25.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,260.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Barclays increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,166.00 to $1,185.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Stephens downgraded W.W. Grainger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $1,355.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,460.00 to $1,428.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,286.62.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

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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