Lewis Asset Management LLC Purchases Shares of 700 W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Lewis Asset Management LLC made a new investment of approximately $728,000 in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by acquiring 700 shares during the second quarter.
• W.W. Grainger reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 per share, slightly missing analysts' estimates, while revenue was $4.55 billion, surpassing expectations.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with an annualized yield of 0.9%.

Lewis Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 700 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $728,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 46.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 23,673 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $24,952,000 after acquiring an additional 1,628 shares during the period. Aurdan Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at $10,499,000. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $394,000. Finally, Ascent Group LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 15.5% in the 4th quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 351 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $370,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE GWW traded down $7.38 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $980.23. 342,394 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 300,804. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.18. The business's 50 day moving average is $1,002.47 and its 200-day moving average is $1,018.82.

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). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were paid a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is 22.94%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,758,355.06. This represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GWW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target 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 report on Friday, July 11th. Loop Capital reduced their price objective 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price 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 research note on Monday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Company 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.