Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Sells 70,200 Shares of Graco Inc. $GGG

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) by 20.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 273,376 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 70,200 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.16% of Graco worth $23,141,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Graco by 87.7% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 721,700 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $61,092,000 after buying an additional 337,300 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its position in shares of Graco by 105.2% during the 1st quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 125,134 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $10,593,000 after acquiring an additional 64,138 shares during the period. Aristides Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Graco by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. Aristides Capital LLC now owns 5,351 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $453,000 after acquiring an additional 631 shares during the period. Compound Planning Inc. grew its holdings in Graco by 52.6% in the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 4,188 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 1,444 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Graco by 80.6% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 954,347 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $80,785,000 after purchasing an additional 426,001 shares in the last quarter. 93.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on GGG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Graco from $92.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Graco in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings cut Graco from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 price objective on Graco in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded Graco from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $95.00.

More Graco News

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Graco posted record second-quarter sales and operating earnings, while adjusted EPS of $0.91 beat expectations, helping fuel buying in the stock. Graco (GGG) On Record Q2 Earnings And The Case For More Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s third-quarter sales guidance and reaffirmed full-year outlook signaled confidence in demand trends, backlog growth, and a stronger second half. Graco Inc. Signals Stronger Second Half Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Graco to $96 from $92 and kept an outperform rating, reinforcing a bullish analyst view. Benzinga / The Fly analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: William Blair maintained a Hold rating, saying improving orders and backlog are being offset by only modest near-term growth. Balanced Outlook for Graco
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles highlighted that revenue came in below some estimates even as profits and margins improved, making the earnings reaction more dependent on outlook than on top-line growth alone. Graco Surpasses Q2 Earnings Estimates, Reaffirms 2026 View

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Andrea Helen Simon acquired 1,240 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $80.53 per share, with a total value of $99,857.20. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 1,240 shares in the company, valued at $99,857.20. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.18% of the company's stock.

Graco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GGG opened at $79.43 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $75.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.93. Graco Inc. has a 1 year low of $72.51 and a 1 year high of $95.69.

Graco (NYSE:GGG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.10. Graco had a net margin of 23.53% and a return on equity of 19.54%. The company had revenue of $590.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $608.06 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.75 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Graco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Graco's payout ratio is currently 37.11%.

Graco Profile

Graco Inc is a leading manufacturer of fluid handling systems and components, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1926, the company has built a reputation for innovation in spray finishing, lubrication, and fluid management technologies. Graco's solutions are designed to address the needs of paint and coatings applicators, general industry, and process fluids in a variety of end markets.

The company's product portfolio includes airless and air-assisted spray equipment, pumps for oil and gas applications, industrial lubrication systems, and automated dispensing equipment.

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