Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC Has $1.36 Million Stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC sold 527 shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc., reducing its holdings by 27.7% to 1,373 shares, valued at approximately $1.36 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported earnings of $9.97 per share for the last quarter, missing analysts' expectations of $10.07, while quarterly revenue increased by 5.6% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26, yielding 0.9%, with the ex-dividend date set for August 11th, marking a dividend payout ratio of 22.94%.

Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 27.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,373 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 527 shares during the quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,357,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of GWW. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 1.1% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,322,801,000 after acquiring an additional 57,690 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 10.1% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 822,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $812,403,000 after acquiring an additional 75,644 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after acquiring an additional 691,783 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 14.2% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $718,769,000 after acquiring an additional 84,595 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in W.W. Grainger by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 584,854 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $616,465,000 after acquiring an additional 37,894 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Loop Capital decreased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 4th. One 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 MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:GWW traded down $0.45 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,014.02. 337,931 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 355,193. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1,014.53 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,019.54. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a $2.26 dividend. 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 payout ratio is 22.94%.

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.