North Dakota State Investment Board Takes Position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board opened a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter, buying 1,520 shares valued at about $1.53 million.
• Grainger posted better-than-expected first-quarter results, with EPS of $11.65 versus estimates of $10.21 and revenue of $4.74 billion versus $4.58 billion expected. The company also raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to 44.25–46.25.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $2.49 per share from $2.26, while Wall Street currently has an average Hold rating and a consensus price target of $1,199.13.

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 1,520 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,534,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accredited Investors Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 211.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 28 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 650.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW stock opened at $1,244.53 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $906.52 and a 1 year high of $1,286.56. The firm's 50 day moving average is $1,140.56 and its 200-day moving average is $1,074.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.47, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 2.69, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $10.21 by $1.44. The company had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. W.W. Grainger's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.86 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 26.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GWW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,190.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,199.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total transaction of $1,051,325.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,554 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,913,067.24. The trade was a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,488 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,114.28, for a total transaction of $1,658,048.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,745,625.48. This trade represents a 12.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,451 shares of company stock valued at $7,380,743. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc NYSE: GWW is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.

Grainger's product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.

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