Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac Makes New $3.99 Million Investment in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac opened a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter, buying 3,936 shares valued at about $3.99 million.
• W.W. Grainger recently beat earnings expectations, reporting $11.65 EPS versus $10.21 expected, while revenue rose 10.1% year over year to $4.74 billion.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, and analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $1,212.88.

Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 3,936 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,986,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. State of Wyoming increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 650.0% in the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,047.00 to $1,171.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,212.88.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,247.99 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $906.52 and a one year high of $1,286.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 2.69 and a quick ratio of 1.60. The stock's 50-day moving average is $1,162.71 and its 200 day moving average is $1,088.43. The firm has a market cap of $58.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.57, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.04.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The company had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.86 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.34 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total transaction of $1,795,446.53. Following the sale, the vice president owned 2,232 shares in the company, valued at $2,750,471.28. This represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,488 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,114.28, for a total value of $1,658,048.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 10,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,745,625.48. The trade was a 12.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 6,451 shares of company stock worth $7,380,743 in the last quarter. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger 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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