W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW Shares Purchased by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 445.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,592 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,364 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $19,190,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mattern Capital Management LLC increased its stake in W.W. Grainger by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Mattern Capital Management LLC now owns 12,234 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $12,345,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter worth about $1,048,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in W.W. Grainger by 212.3% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 54,215 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $55,795,000 after purchasing an additional 36,855 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in W.W. Grainger by 160.6% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 68,139 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $68,756,000 after buying an additional 41,990 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 72.3% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,353 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,374,000 after purchasing an additional 987 shares during the last quarter. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 1,457 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,232.29, for a total value of $1,795,446.53. Following the sale, the vice president owned 2,232 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,750,471.28. This trade represents a 39.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 854 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,231.06, for a total value of $1,051,325.24. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,913,067.24. This trade represents a 35.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,624 shares of company stock valued at $3,232,291. Company insiders own 6.30% of the company's stock.

W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of GWW opened at $1,391.16 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,297.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,169.75. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $906.52 and a 52-week high of $1,400.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.68 billion, a PE ratio of 37.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.03.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The industrial products company reported $11.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.21 by $1.44. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 47.87%. The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $9.86 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2026 guidance at 44.250-46.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 45.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $2.49 dividend. This represents a $9.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This is a boost from W.W. Grainger's previous quarterly dividend of $2.26. W.W. Grainger's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on GWW shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,171.00 to $1,166.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,170.00 to $1,337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $1,250.00 price objective for the company. Stephens lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $1,300.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on W.W. Grainger from $1,190.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,216.44.

About W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc NYSE: GWW is an industrial supply distributor founded in 1927 and headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. The company supplies maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services to businesses, institutions and government customers. Over its long history Grainger has developed a broad product assortment and a national distribution network that supports operations across a range of end markets, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, transportation and public sector organizations.

Grainger's product portfolio spans core categories such as electrical and lighting, safety and personal protective equipment, material handling, motors and power transmission, plumbing and HVAC, fasteners and adhesives, hand and power tools, and janitorial and facility supplies.

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