Entropy Technologies LP Invests $1.08 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Entropy Technologies LP initiated a W.W. Grainger position by purchasing 993 shares valued at approximately $1.08 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.7% of the company.
• Grainger reported quarterly EPS of $11.65, beating estimates by $1.44, while revenue rose 10.1% year over year to $4.74 billion. The company guided to fiscal 2026 EPS of $44.25–$46.25.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49, or $9.96 annually, representing a 0.7% yield. Despite strong results and shares trading near their 52-week high, analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $1,230.11 price target.

Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 993 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,083,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted 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 during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $518,958,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34,269.9% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 435,466 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $439,407,000 after buying an additional 434,199 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 61.1% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,027,286 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,036,584,000 after buying an additional 389,589 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sustainable Growth Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the third quarter worth $239,597,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of GWW opened at $1,397.48 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.98 billion, a PE ratio of 37.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.03. The company's fifty day moving average is $1,326.02 and its 200 day moving average is $1,194.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.69. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $906.52 and a fifty-two week high of $1,419.91.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on GWW shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,337.00 to $1,460.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,190.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Stephens cut W.W. Grainger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $1,355.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,230.11.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total value of $385,518.97. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 399 shares in the company, valued at $491,444.31. This represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total value of $1,795,446.53. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,750,471.28. This trade represents a 39.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 2,624 shares of company stock worth $3,232,291 in the last quarter. 6.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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