Hennessy Advisors Inc. Takes Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Hennessy Advisors acquired a new 1,772-share position in W.W. Grainger valued at approximately $2.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.7% of the company.
• Grainger reported quarterly EPS of $12.01, beating estimates of $11.30, while revenue reached $5.02 billion and rose 10.3% year over year. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $45.50–$47.25 and declared a quarterly dividend of $2.49.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the consensus rating is “Hold” with an average price target of $1,286.62, while Grainger trades near $1,306 at roughly 33 times earnings, raising valuation concerns.

Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,772 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $2,411,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 420.0% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 26 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. EFG International AG purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter valued at $37,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,460.00 to $1,428.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Stephens lowered shares of W.W. Grainger from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $1,355.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Barclays raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,166.00 to $1,185.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised W.W. Grainger from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,286.62.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,305.72 on Monday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52 week low of $906.52 and a 52 week high of $1,419.91. The stock has a market cap of $61.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.29, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.04. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,342.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,235.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 2.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $11.30 by $0.71. The firm had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.96 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 48.73%. The company's revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.97 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS. On average, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 46.17 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is presently 25.40%.

Key Stories Impacting W.W. Grainger

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded GWW to a No. 2 (Buy) rank, citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings prospects. Zacks rating upgrade article
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple future EPS estimates, including FY2027 to $50.40 from $50.21 and FY2028 to $54.37 from $54.17. Estimates were also increased for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027 and Q2 2028, suggesting modestly improving expectations for profitability. MarketBeat analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Grainger’s latest reported quarter exceeded expectations, with EPS of $12.01 versus the $11.30 consensus and revenue of $5.02 billion versus $4.96 billion. Revenue increased 10.3% year over year, supporting the case for continued earnings growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street commentary is mixed: GWW has outperformed the broader market over the past year, but analysts remain cautious about its future upside. Barchart analyst outlook article
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation may be limiting enthusiasm. Grainger trades at roughly 33 times earnings, while its shares are below the 50-day moving average after approaching a 12-month high. Investors may be taking profits or demanding stronger estimate increases before bidding the stock higher. MSN analyst outlook article

About W.W. Grainger

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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