Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Has $58.14 Million Stock Position in Graco Inc. $GGG

Key Points

• Gamco Investors trimmed its Graco stake by 3.1% in the first quarter, but still held 686,806 shares worth about $58.1 million at the end of the reporting period. Institutional ownership remains very high, with hedge funds and other investors owning 93.88% of the stock.
• Graco shares were up 2.2% to $79.43, and the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.91, topping estimates of $0.81. Revenue rose 3.3% year over year, though it came in below consensus.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.295 per share, payable August 5, giving an annualized yield of about 1.5%. Analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating on Graco, with an average price target of $95.

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lowered its position in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) by 3.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 686,806 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 21,789 shares during the quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL owned approximately 0.41% of Graco worth $58,138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GGG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Graco by 15.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 330,409 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,592,000 after purchasing an additional 44,573 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Graco by 982.6% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 452 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Graco by 97.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,765 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in shares of Graco by 559.5% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 108,100 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $9,293,000 after purchasing an additional 91,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Graco by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 21,289 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,830,000 after buying an additional 852 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.88% of the company's stock.

Graco Trading Up 2.2%

Graco stock opened at $79.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a 50-day moving average of $75.07 and a 200-day moving average of $82.66. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $590.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $608.06 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.75 EPS. Graco's revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Graco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be paid a $0.295 dividend. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. Graco's dividend payout ratio is presently 38.44%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Andrea Helen Simon bought 1,240 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $80.53 per share, for a total transaction of $99,857.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,857.20. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.18% of the company's stock.

Graco News Summary

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

GGG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Graco in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wolfe Research cut shares of Graco from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Graco from $92.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 target price on shares of Graco in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Graco from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $95.00.

About Graco

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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