Maren Capital LLC Purchases 19,176 Shares of Graco Inc. $GGG

Key Points

• Maren Capital LLC increased its Graco stake by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 19,176 more shares and bringing its total to 788,649 shares worth about $64.6 million.
• Graco reported quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share, missing estimates, while revenue of $540.1 million also came in below expectations despite rising 2.2% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.295 per share to be paid August 5, and the stock remains under pressure, trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Maren Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG - Free Report) by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 788,649 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 19,176 shares during the period. Graco accounts for 3.5% of Maren Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Maren Capital LLC owned about 0.48% of Graco worth $64,646,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in Graco by 42.6% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 465 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Graco by 982.6% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 498 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 452 shares during the last quarter. Field & Main Bank bought a new position in Graco during the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Matrix Trust Co raised its stake in Graco by 43.0% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 555 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in Graco by 40.3% during the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 735 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.88% of the company's stock.

Graco Trading Down 0.2%

GGG opened at $74.45 on Monday. Graco Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.26 and a 1-year high of $95.69. The company has a market cap of $12.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $79.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.30.

Graco (NYSE:GGG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 22.96% and a return on equity of 18.66%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.70 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Graco Inc. will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Graco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th will be given a dividend of $0.295 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 20th. This represents a $1.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Graco's payout ratio is presently 38.44%.

Key Headlines Impacting Graco

Here are the key news stories impacting Graco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for Graco to $3.10 from $3.09, suggesting earnings expectations are holding steady heading into the rest of the year.
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish thesis on Graco was highlighted by Insider Monkey, reflecting investor interest in the stock’s valuation and long-term industrial growth potential. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Kalkine Media published a piece exploring whether Russell 1000 momentum could help Graco’s global industrial reach, which appears more thematic than a direct catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several forward EPS estimates for Graco, including Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, FY2027, and FY2028, which may weigh on sentiment by suggesting slower longer-term earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock also remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reinforcing the view that recent price action has been weak despite the latest analyst updates.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Graco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Graco in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $95.00 price target on shares of Graco in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Graco from $96.00 to $92.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $94.25.

Insider Activity at Graco

In other Graco news, Director Andrea Helen Simon bought 1,240 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $80.53 per share, with a total value of $99,857.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,857.20. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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