United Asset Strategies Inc. Buys 13,004 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• United Asset Strategies Inc. dramatically increased its W.W. Grainger stake by 1,435.3% in the first quarter, buying 13,004 additional shares. The firm now holds 13,910 shares valued at about $15.17 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $11.65 beating estimates and revenue of $4.74 billion topping expectations. The company also raised its annual dividend to $9.96 per share, a 0.7% yield.
• Despite solid fundamentals, the stock was down 1.6% in Tuesday trading, and analyst sentiment remains mixed with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $1,216.44.

United Asset Strategies Inc. lifted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 1,435.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,910 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,004 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises 1.2% of United Asset Strategies Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. United Asset Strategies Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $15,173,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 314.3% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE GWW traded down $22.19 on Tuesday, reaching $1,347.97. 74,259 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 286,322. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $906.52 and a 12 month high of $1,390.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.69. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1,275.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,157.67. The company has a market cap of $63.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.26, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.03.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.87% and a net margin of 9.70%.The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $9.86 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $2.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.79%.

Insider Activity at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 313 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.69, for a total transaction of $385,518.97. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 399 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $491,444.31. This represents a 43.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total transaction of $1,795,446.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,750,471.28. The trade was a 39.50% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291 over the last quarter. 6.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on GWW shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. DA Davidson began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $1,250.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,216.44.

W.W. Grainger 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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