Global Retirement Partners LLC Acquires 1,080 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its W.W. Grainger stake by 218.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 1,080 additional shares to bring its total to 1,575 shares worth about $1.59 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $11.65 versus expectations of $10.21 and revenue of $4.74 billion, while management also set FY2026 EPS guidance at 44.25-46.25.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, and analysts have recently lifted earnings estimates, though the stock still carries a consensus rating of Hold.

Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 218.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,575 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,080 shares during the quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,589,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GWW. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 34,269.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 435,466 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $439,407,000 after purchasing an additional 434,199 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at $239,597,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,731,880 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,462,252,000 after purchasing an additional 104,607 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 899.0% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 94,737 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $95,594,000 after purchasing an additional 85,254 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 96.7% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 149,920 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $141,896,000 after acquiring an additional 73,714 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting W.W. Grainger this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for W.W. Grainger to $44.83 from $42.84, suggesting stronger near-term earnings momentum. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: The analyst also boosted FY2027 EPS to $49.39 from $48.13, reinforcing expectations for continued profit growth over the next year. W.W. Grainger stock page
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly estimates were increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q2 2026, and Q4 2026, which may support sentiment around the company’s earnings trajectory. W.W. Grainger stock page

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,047.00 to $1,171.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,190.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Stephens boosted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,199.13.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 0.0%

GWW stock opened at $1,247.95 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $1,148.54 and a 200-day moving average of $1,080.20. The company has a market cap of $58.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.57, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $906.52 and a twelve month high of $1,286.56.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $10.21 by $1.44. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The firm's revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.35 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be issued a $2.49 dividend. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 26.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,913,067.24. This represents a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the vice president owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at $491,444.31. This represents a 43.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,451 shares of company stock worth $7,380,743. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

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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