Scientech Research LLC Grows Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Scientech Research LLC significantly increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 568.1%, acquiring an additional 1,318 shares, bringing its total to 1,550 shares valued at approximately $1.53 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $9.97, which was below analysts' expectations of $10.07, although revenue rose by 5.6% year-over-year to $4.55 billion.
• Multiple institutional investors have increased their holdings in W.W. Grainger, resulting in institutional ownership rising to 80.70% of the company's stock.

Scientech Research LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 568.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,550 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,318 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises about 0.4% of Scientech Research LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Scientech Research LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,531,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $480,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in W.W. Grainger by 3.2% during the first quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $319,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 0.9% during the first quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 1,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,125,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.7% in the first quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 270 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $267,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 34.3% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 47 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Loop Capital lowered 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 note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of GWW traded up $21.26 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $1,015.32. The company had a trading volume of 357,862 shares, compared to its average volume of 290,057. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1-year low of $893.99 and a 1-year high of $1,227.66. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,010.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,018.69. The stock has a market cap of $48.56 billion, a PE ratio of 25.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.W.W. Grainger's revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.76 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. Research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm 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 of this dividend was Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.94%.

About W.W. Grainger

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.