Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Buys 1,605 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. has increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 30.7%, now owning 6,836 shares worth approximately $6.75 million.
• The stock price of W.W. Grainger has fallen by 3.4% with an opening price of $993.59, amid a 50-day moving average of $1,012.87.
• W.W. Grainger's recent quarterly earnings reported an EPS of $9.97, falling short of analysts' expectations, while the company set a FY 2025 guidance of $38.500-$40.250 EPS.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 30.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,836 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,605 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,753,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 1,685.7% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $123,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 5.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 5,095 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,033,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 116.0% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 33,917 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,506,000 after acquiring an additional 18,216 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 701 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $692,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Interval Partners LP boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 1,429.9% during the 1st quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 67,957 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $67,130,000 after acquiring an additional 63,515 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

GWW traded up $21.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $1,015.32. 362,349 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 290,564. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company's fifty day moving average price is $1,010.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,018.69. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $893.99 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.07 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Loop Capital dropped their price target 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. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target 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. One investment 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,069.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. The trade was a 22.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

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.