Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. Raises Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 2.0%, now owning 14,182 shares valued at approximately $14.68 million, making it the 27th largest holding in their investment portfolio.
• W.W. Grainger's stock has been impacted by analysts' ratings, with Royal Bank Of Canada and Morgan Stanley reducing their price targets, while Weiss Ratings maintained a "buy" rating.
• The company recently disclosed a quarterly dividend of $2.26, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%, with a current dividend payout ratio of 22.94%.

Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,182 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 273 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger makes up approximately 1.8% of Barlow Wealth Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Barlow Wealth Partners Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $14,682,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,322,801,000 after buying an additional 57,690 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 10.1% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 822,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $812,403,000 after buying an additional 75,644 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.7% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 416,086 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $410,975,000 after buying an additional 6,797 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 4.5% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 306,829 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $303,095,000 after buying an additional 13,330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at approximately $285,574,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on 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 decreased their price target on 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. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Loop Capital decreased their price target on 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. Finally, Barclays began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,053.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE GWW opened at $956.40 on Thursday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a market cap of $45.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $981.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,015.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th were paid a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.

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