Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Sells 9,005 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its stake in W.W. Grainger by 27.6%, selling 9,005 shares and leaving 23,663 shares valued at about $23.9 million.
• Grainger reported Q results of $9.45 EPS (missed by $0.01) and $4.43 billion revenue (beat estimates), and set FY2026 guidance of $42.25–$44.75 EPS versus analysts' consensus of about $43.61.
• CFO Deidra Merriwether sold 1,488 shares under a Rule 10b5‑1 plan for ~$1.66M, the company pays a $2.26 quarterly dividend (annualized $9.04, yield ~0.8%), and analysts' consensus rating is "Hold" with an average target of $1,118.14.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lessened its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 27.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,663 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 9,005 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $23,925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accredited Investors Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in 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. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 314.3% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 650.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 45 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 25.5% in the 3rd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 64 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Trading Down 1.3%

NYSE:GWW opened at $1,149.80 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a one year low of $906.52 and a one year high of $1,218.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.83 and a quick ratio of 1.59. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $1,116.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,046.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.49, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.09.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $9.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $9.46 by ($0.01). W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 47.46% and a net margin of 9.51%.The business had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $9.71 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.250-44.750 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 43.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th were paid a dividend of $2.26 per share. 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 presently 25.54%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,052.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of W.W. Grainger from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,250.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,118.14.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Deidra C. Merriwether sold 1,488 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,114.28, for a total transaction of $1,658,048.64. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 10,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,745,625.48. The trade was a 12.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 6.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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