KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Raises Stock Position in Graco Inc. $GGG

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS raised its stake in Graco by 167.7% in Q4 to 316,700 shares (about $25.96M), and institutional investors now own roughly 93.88% of the company.
• Graco missed Q1 estimates, reporting $0.66 EPS vs. ~$0.75 consensus and $540M revenue vs. ~$561M, with operating and net earnings down and margin pressure noted.
• Insider selling and mixed analyst views: insiders sold 19,394 shares (~$1.74M) in the last 90 days, while analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $96.50 price target.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its stake in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) by 167.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 316,700 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 198,400 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS owned 0.19% of Graco worth $25,960,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GGG. State Street Corp raised its position in Graco by 1.3% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,571,060 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $643,237,000 after acquiring an additional 99,097 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Graco by 3.2% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,458,857 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $208,908,000 after acquiring an additional 75,285 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in Graco by 2.6% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,076,887 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $176,016,000 after acquiring an additional 53,126 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in Graco by 0.8% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,865,673 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $158,508,000 after acquiring an additional 14,764 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Graco by 2.8% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,572,598 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $133,608,000 after acquiring an additional 42,381 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.88% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Graco

In other Graco news, EVP Kathryn L. Schoenrock sold 2,223 shares of Graco stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.06, for a total value of $195,757.38. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $690,918.76. The trade was a 22.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Timothy R. White sold 1,469 shares of Graco stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.70, for a total transaction of $133,238.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 51,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,664,701. This represents a 2.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 19,394 shares of company stock valued at $1,739,326. 2.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Graco from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. KeyCorp restated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Graco in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Graco from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Graco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Graco in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $96.50.

Key Headlines Impacting Graco

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisitions contributed to sales growth and management highlighted M&A as a driver of the quarter’s revenue improvement (net sales +2% YoY). Acquisitions Drive Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet strength: cash & cash equivalents rose ~33% YoY to ~$712M, giving Graco flexibility for buybacks, dividends or further M&A. Graco Inc. (GGG) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive (Jefferies buy; median price-targets above the current price), which may support the stock once execution stabilizes. Graco Inc. (GGG) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Top-line was modestly positive: revenue grew ~2.2% YoY to ~$540M, but growth was below expectations and partially acquisition-driven. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS and revenue missed consensus: GAAP EPS came in below estimates ($0.66–$0.70 reported vs. ~$0.74 consensus) and revenue was roughly $540M vs. ~$561M expected — the main reason for the intraday decline. Graco Inc. (GGG) Misses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability slipped: operating earnings and net income declined YoY (operating earnings down ~4%, net earnings down ~5%), and operating margin pressure was noted. Graco Inc. (GGG) Stock Falls on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and large institutional reductions reported recently may weigh on sentiment; several execs sold shares and some funds materially trimmed positions. Insider & Institutional Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst estimate cuts (Zacks and others trimmed near‑term EPS forecasts before the print), increasing the risk of further downward revisions if margins don’t recover. Analyst Estimate Coverage

Graco Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GGG opened at $85.42 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $14.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.09. The firm's fifty day moving average is $88.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $85.50. Graco Inc. has a 52-week low of $78.10 and a 52-week high of $95.69.

Graco (NYSE:GGG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.75 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $540.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $561.35 million. Graco had a net margin of 23.33% and a return on equity of 19.49%. The business's revenue was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.70 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Graco Inc. will post 3.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Graco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 13th will be issued a $0.295 dividend. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 13th. Graco's payout ratio is currently 38.19%.

Graco Company Profile

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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