Shell Asset Management Co. Boosts Stock Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Shell Asset Management Co. raised its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 60.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,079 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 1,165 shares during the quarter. Shell Asset Management Co.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $3,203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of GWW. Nuveen LLC purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at about $285,574,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.1% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 822,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $812,403,000 after buying an additional 75,644 shares during the last quarter. Kodai Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at about $67,601,000. Interval Partners LP lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1,429.9% during the first quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 67,957 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $67,130,000 after buying an additional 63,515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,322,801,000 after buying an additional 57,690 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $959.41 on Wednesday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $893.99 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The company's 50 day moving average is $984.04 and its 200 day moving average is $1,016.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of $45.89 billion, a PE ratio of 24.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.17.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is 22.94%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on GWW shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective 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 report on Monday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Loop Capital cut their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,089.71.

W.W. Grainger 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.

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