W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Purchased by Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC

Key Points

• Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC increased its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 26.7% during the 1st quarter, now owning 1,367 shares valued at $1,350,000.
• The company's stock is currently trading at $978.76, with a market capitalization of $46.82 billion and a P/E ratio of 24.84.
• W.W. Grainger has declared a quarterly dividend of $2.26 per share, yielding 0.9%, with the payout set for September 1st.

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 26.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,367 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 288 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $1,350,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.1% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,388,378 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $5,322,801,000 after buying an additional 57,690 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 10.1% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 822,411 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $812,403,000 after buying an additional 75,644 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 100,843.0% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 692,469 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $684,042,000 after buying an additional 691,783 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 681,912 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $718,769,000 after buying an additional 84,595 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 584,854 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $616,465,000 after buying an additional 37,894 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Up 2.7%

GWW traded up $26.5310 on Friday, hitting $1,020.6010. The company had a trading volume of 333,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 289,364. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $1,018.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,020.69. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12-month low of $893.99 and a 12-month high of $1,227.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.18.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger'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. Analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a $2.26 dividend. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 11th. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on GWW. Loop Capital cut their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,100.00 to $1,125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,080.38.

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.