W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Purchased by Columbus Macro LLC

Key Points

• Columbus Macro LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. by 7.7%, owning 5,861 shares valued at approximately $6.1 million as of the latest reporting period.
• Insider Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares for a total of $496,430, representing a 22.02% decrease in his stock ownership.
• W.W. Grainger reported $9.97 earnings per share, slightly below analysts' expectations, and provided FY 2025 EPS guidance of 38.500-40.250.

Columbus Macro LLC boosted its stake in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,861 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the period. Columbus Macro LLC's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $6,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in W.W. Grainger in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the second quarter worth $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 316.7% during the second 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 during the period. Nova Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the first quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other W.W. Grainger news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $966.42 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $982.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,016.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.22 billion, a PE ratio of 24.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $893.99 and a 52-week high of $1,227.66.

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

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a $2.26 dividend. 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 is presently 22.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on GWW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target 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. Barclays started coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday. They set an "underweight" rating and a $963.00 price target for the company. Loop Capital lowered their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $1,073.88.

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.

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