Groupe la Francaise Purchases 719 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 36.9% in the 1st quarter, acquiring an additional 719 shares, bringing total holdings to 2,669 shares valued at $2,635,000.
• W.W. Grainger reported $9.97 earnings per share, missing analyst expectations by $0.10, despite revenue growth of 5.6% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with a dividend yield of 0.9%, set to be paid on September 1st.

Groupe la Francaise increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 36.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,669 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 719 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,635,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $319,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of W.W. Grainger stock opened at $1,020.6010 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,017.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,020.39. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Research analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GWW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.