Citizens & Northern Corp Cuts Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Citizens & Northern Corp significantly reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 82.5% during Q2, owning only 281 shares after selling 1,325 shares, which valued their holdings at $292,000.
• W.W. Grainger recently reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing expectations by $0.10, while revenue increased by 5.6% year-over-year to $4.55 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, contributing to an annualized yield of 0.9%, with a payout ratio of 22.94%.

Citizens & Northern Corp decreased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 82.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,325 shares during the quarter. Citizens & Northern Corp's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $292,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 41.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 515 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $535,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 5.1% in the second quarter. Fiduciary Family Office LLC now owns 613 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $638,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $94,000. Phoenix Financial Ltd. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at $230,000. Finally, Northeast Investment Management bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at $208,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.1%

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $972.33 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $893.99 and a 1 year high of $1,227.66. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $982.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,015.25. 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 stock has a market cap of $46.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.67, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.17.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The business's revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

GWW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price 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. Loop Capital decreased their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,053.71.

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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