Graco Inc. $GGG Shares Acquired by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Key Points

• Arrowstreet Capital increased its Graco stake by 80.6% in the first quarter, acquiring 426,001 additional shares for a total position valued at approximately $80.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own 93.88% of Graco’s stock.
• Graco reported quarterly EPS of $0.91, exceeding the $0.81 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 3.3% year over year to $590.55 million but fell short of analysts’ $608.06 million forecast.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.295, equal to an annualized $1.18 payout and a 1.5% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $95 price target, despite RBC raising its target to $96 and retaining an “outperform” rating.

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) by 80.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 954,347 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 426,001 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned 0.58% of Graco worth $80,785,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Caxton Associates LLP boosted its position in Graco by 9.4% during the first quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 11,055 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $936,000 after purchasing an additional 952 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its holdings in Graco by 376.6% during the first quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 57,953 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $4,906,000 after purchasing an additional 45,793 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Graco by 3.4% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 496,425 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $42,023,000 after purchasing an additional 16,516 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Graco by 6.2% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 15,060 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,275,000 after purchasing an additional 882 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Graco by 4.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,535,923 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $130,016,000 after purchasing an additional 61,706 shares during the period. 93.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Graco Stock Performance

NYSE GGG opened at $79.43 on Monday. Graco Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $72.51 and a fifty-two week high of $95.69. The stock's fifty day moving average is $75.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.93.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $590.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $608.06 million. Graco had a return on equity of 19.54% and a net margin of 23.53%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.75 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Graco Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on GGG. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Graco from $92.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings cut Graco from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Graco in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 target price on Graco in a report on Friday. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded Graco from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Graco presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $95.00.

Graco News Roundup

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

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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