Hancock Whitney Corp Sells 15,847 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Hancock Whitney Corp significantly reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger, selling 15,847 shares and holding only 4,285 shares, which are now valued at $4.23 million.
• Recent adjustments by other hedge funds include a 2.2% increase in holdings by Alliancebernstein and a new position by Adage Capital Partners worth $30 million, showing shifting institutional interest in the company.
• W.W. Grainger's latest earnings report indicated an EPS of $9.97, falling short of analysts’ estimates, while the company projects 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hancock Whitney Corp decreased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 78.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,285 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 15,847 shares during the period. Hancock Whitney Corp's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $4,233,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger by 2.1% in the first quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $480,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 3.2% in the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $319,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,125,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 3.4%

NYSE GWW traded down $34.44 during trading on Friday, hitting $993.59. The company had a trading volume of 416,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 275,453. The company's fifty day moving average is $1,012.87 and its 200-day moving average is $1,019.12. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $893.99 and a one year high of $1,227.66. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of $47.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.18.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 22.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on GWW. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Loop Capital dropped their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,069.13.

About W.W. Grainger

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.