W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Acquired by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 59.9% in the second quarter, acquiring an additional 2,488 shares to reach a total of 6,643 shares valued at approximately $6.91 million.
• W.W. Grainger reported $9.97 EPS in its last quarterly earnings, falling short of analyst expectations by $0.10, though its revenue of $4.55 billion exceeded forecasts.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, resulting in an annualized yield of 0.9%, and has a dividend payout ratio of 22.94%.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR grew its position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 59.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,643 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 2,488 shares during the quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,910,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 316.7% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 25 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares in the last quarter. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 52.6% during the second quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 29 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In other news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 6.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

GWW stock opened at $956.40 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $45.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.27, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.17. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $893.99 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $981.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,015.48. 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 issued 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 return on equity of 49.63% and a net margin of 10.99%.The business 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 company earned $9.76 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $9.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,035.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on 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. Loop Capital lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,053.71.

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.

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.