Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC Boosts Holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter, owning a total of 9,182 shares valued at approximately $9.55 million.
• Several hedge funds, including Brighton Jones LLC and NorthCrest Asset Management LLC, have also increased their investments in W.W. Grainger, indicating strong institutional interest with 80.70% of the stock owned by such investors.
• W.W. Grainger's stock has a 12-month high of $1,227.66 and recently reported quarterly earnings of $9.97 per share, falling short of estimates by $0.10.

Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,182 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,497 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $9,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in GWW. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 46.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 320 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $338,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.2% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 701 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $692,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $203,000. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $362,000. Finally, New England Research & Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the first quarter worth about $272,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total transaction of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price target on the stock. 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 on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. 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 for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, 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 for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,073.88.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $946.61 on Monday. 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 market cap of $45.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.02, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $981.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,016.55. The company has a current ratio of 2.82, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th were given a dividend of $2.26 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GWW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.