Russell Investments Group Ltd. Acquires 2,895 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Russell Investments increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 7.8%, buying 2,895 shares to hold 40,059 shares worth about $38.1 million (≈0.08% of the company).
• Grainger reported quarterly EPS of $9.45 (missed estimates by $0.01) on $4.43 billion in revenue (+4.5% YoY) and set FY2026 guidance of $42.25–$44.75 in EPS versus analysts' consensus of 40.3.
• The stock trades near $1,109.86 with a market cap of about $52.6 billion, P/E ~31.4 and an annual dividend of $9.04 (0.8% yield); analysts have raised some targets but the consensus rating remains Hold with a $1,071.38 average price target.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,059 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,895 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.08% of W.W. Grainger worth $38,098,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Inceptionr LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter valued at $387,000. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 90,749 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $86,028,000 after purchasing an additional 7,170 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 22.7% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,315 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,206,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the third quarter valued at about $381,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 647.4% in the third quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,550 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,383,000 after buying an additional 3,075 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Krantz Nancy L. Berardinelli sold 195 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,023.93, for a total value of $199,666.35. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,174 shares in the company, valued at $3,249,953.82. This represents a 5.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,109.86 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.57 billion, a PE ratio of 31.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,218.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1,099.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,020.23.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $9.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $9.46 by ($0.01). W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.51% and a return on equity of 47.46%. The company had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $9.71 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.250-44.750 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 9th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 25.54%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $975.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,071.38.

About W.W. Grainger

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GWW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.