Boston Trust Walden Corp Has $58.53 Million Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the first quarter, holding 53,656 shares valued at about $58.5 million at quarter-end.
• Grainger reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $11.65 versus estimates of $10.21 and revenue of $4.74 billion, up 10.1% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26.
• Analysts currently have a Hold consensus on GWW, with an average price target of $1,216.44, while insiders have sold shares recently, including two executives in May.

Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 2.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 53,656 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,085 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned 0.11% of W.W. Grainger worth $58,529,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mattern Capital Management LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Mattern Capital Management LLC now owns 12,234 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $12,345,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,048,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 212.3% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 54,215 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $55,795,000 after acquiring an additional 36,855 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 160.6% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 68,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $68,756,000 after acquiring an additional 41,990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.3% during the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,353 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,374,000 after purchasing an additional 987 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,343.92 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $63.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.03. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $906.52 and a 1 year high of $1,390.96. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $1,267.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,153.02. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The company had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $9.86 EPS. W.W. Grainger's revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.47 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Stephens increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,190.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,216.44.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total transaction of $1,051,325.24. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,554 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,913,067.24. This trade represents a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total value of $385,518.97. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $491,444.31. The trade was a 43.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291 over the last 90 days. 6.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About W.W. Grainger

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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