Synovus Financial Corp Sells 1,300 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Synovus Financial Corp reduced its stake in W.W. Grainger by 17.6%, owning 6,099 shares valued at $6,025,000 after selling 1,300 shares in the first quarter.
• W.W. Grainger recently reported a quarterly EPS of $9.97, missing analysts' expectations of $10.07, with a revenue of $4.55 billion, up 5.6% from the prior year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, with an annualized dividend yield of 0.9%, set to be paid on September 1st.

Synovus Financial Corp lowered its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 17.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,099 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,300 shares during the quarter. Synovus Financial Corp's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,025,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GWW. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in 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 valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, Columbia River Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 0.5%

GWW stock traded up $5.12 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $1,017.08. The company's stock had a trading volume of 229,886 shares, compared to its average volume of 365,836. 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 has a market capitalization of $48.65 billion, a PE ratio of 25.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.18. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $893.99 and a 12 month high of $1,227.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1,015.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,019.99.

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

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $2.26 per share. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on GWW shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered 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 research report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of 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, Loop Capital lowered 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 research report on Monday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

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.