VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Invests $10.64 Million in W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems acquired 7,820 shares of W.W. Grainger worth approximately $10.64 million, while institutional investors collectively own 80.7% of the company.
• Grainger exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $12.01 in earnings per share versus the $11.30 consensus and $5.02 billion in revenue, up 10.3% year over year. The company issued full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $45.50–$47.25.
• The company paid a quarterly dividend of $2.49 per share, equivalent to a $9.96 annualized payout and a 0.8% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $1,286.62.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 7,820 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $10,638,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Continuum Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in W.W. Grainger by 420.0% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 26 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of GWW opened at $1,289.32 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.73 billion, a PE ratio of 32.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.03. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $906.52 and a 1 year high of $1,419.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 2.81. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $1,336.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,243.01.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $12.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $11.30 by $0.71. The firm had revenue of $5.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.96 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 48.73%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $9.97 earnings per share. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 45.500-47.250 EPS. Analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 46.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $2.49 per share. This represents a $9.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is presently 25.40%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GWW has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Wolfe Research raised shares of W.W. Grainger from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,166.00 to $1,185.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen raised W.W. Grainger from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded W.W. Grainger from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,286.62.

About W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc is a distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and related services. The company serves businesses, government agencies and other organizations that need supplies to maintain facilities, equipment and operations. Its product categories include tools, safety equipment, material handling products, cleaning and maintenance supplies, electrical and lighting products, plumbing supplies, HVAC equipment and fasteners.

Founded in 1927 by William W. Grainger, the company has grown from a regional electrical-equipment distributor into a global MRO provider.

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